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<b>Brooklyn</b>

An open-boat trip on the <b>Big M Express</b> produced a good catch of fluke and sea bass, the report on the boat’s web site said. The anglers fished rough bottom and pulled up 13 keeper fluke and 14 nice-sized sea bass. The keeper fluke were mostly 21 inches or larger, and many of the shorts were 18 or 19 inches, and New York’s 19-1/2-inch limit is “totally out of control,” the report said. The high hook landed five fluke to 6 ½ pounds, keeping only his limit. No dogfish—the endangered dogfish, the report said—pestered the baits. On Tuesday evening a charter sailed for stripers, started trolling and got into the fish right away, and the action kept up the next few hours. Seven keepers and more than 30 shorts were hooked, and the charter called it quits at dark with tired out arms.

<b>Staten Island</b>

A charter with two anglers on the <b>Barbara Anne</b> nearly limited out on flounder to 6 pounds in the ocean Monday, and they released about the same amount of shorts, Capt. Anthony said. They did no sea bassing, but the boat’s anglers are also targeting sea bass on some trips. Open-boat trips take place every Tuesday, guaranteed to leave the dock with a minimum of two anglers.

On a shark trip on the <b>Kayla Rose</b> on Monday two mako sharks and two hammerheads came into the slick, and a runoff from one of the makos was missed, and baits were pitched at the hammerheads, but they refused to bite, Capt. Darrin said. The boat fished at the Mudhole in 68-degree, kind of green water, and Darrin found blue water at the Chicken Canyon on a shark trip last week. Darrin declined to say exactly where the trip fished this week, because the Staten Island Tuna Club Shark Tournament takes place this weekend. He’s actually running the event and said that if anglers want to compete, the captain’s meeting is Friday at Michael’s Bait and Tackle. The event features a minimum $10,000 pay-out for first place. A sea bass charter is slated for this weekend, and fluke trips are also sailing, and so are nighttime bluefishing charters. Darrin hopes to start tuna fishing after the tournament.

Bay fluking produced a good percentage of keepers, and more and more keepers seemed to be arriving, said Sal from <b>Michael’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Sand eels, killies and Berkley Gulps were the main baits. Kingfish were hitting at the jetty on clams and worms. Striper fishing was spotty in the bay, but a few small ones were hooked at night, and more stripers swam the ocean. Snapper blues were beginning to show up, and boaters in the bay were jigging lots of small blues that were larger than snappers, and the boaters were chasing working birds to find them. Porgies were also beginning to appear, and crabbing was great, giving up lots of the blueclaws. Tuna fishing was producing scattered reports and nothing consistent, but plenty of sharks were fought at the Mudhole area and at the Three Sisters, Yankee and Lillian wrecks. Makos, blue sharks and a few threshers tore up the shark grounds.

<b>Keyport</b>

Open-boat trips targeting fluke are available 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day through this Sunday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. A minimum of three people is required, and call to reserve or for the price or info. The price includes bait, tackle and the services of the mate.

A few fluke charters will take place on the <b>Lucky Carm</b> this weekend, Capt. Carmine said. Plenty of prime dates are available this month for charters. Evening charters are available from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. or from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and custom times in the evenings are also available. Open-boat trips are taking place 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day with a minimum of three anglers when no charter is booked, and call to reserve. Charters are also available at that time, and basically hours on charters and open trips are negotiable if necessary. The boat will start running sea bass charters, and sea bassing is good.

<b>Atlantic Star</b>

Boaters clammed, plugged and fished bunker for decent catches of stripers along the ocean beaches, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. But he heard about no decent numbers beached in the surf. Ling and sea bass hung around the rocks and the Scotland Grounds in the ocean, and porgies were also reeled up. Fluking was generally good with some slow days. Bob Thomas, Johann Behrens and Joe Stanklavski bagged a 16.18-pound fluke and a 6.2-pounder among 15 keepers, a dozen keeper sea bass and three ling to a 3.66-pounder. Herb Brennan took a 12.58-pound fluke from Raritan Bay, and Kerri Omara pinned down a 10.58-pound fluke off Sandy Hook Point. Plenty of small bluefish were fought in the bay.

The <b>Fishermen</b>’s fluke trip in the ocean on Monday started with no drift, and Capt. Ron had to power drift, he said in the report on the boat’s web site. Patrons picked away at shorts and keepers, but conditions improved, and by 12:30 p.m. the bite turned on. A load of keepers was boated, and some very nice sea bass were bagged, and the high hook limited out on fluke and took the pool fish. Tuesday’s trip in the ocean produced a little less than half the same number of keepers, but half the number of customers also sailed. That trip began fishing at the same spot that was productive the previous day, picked some fish, ran a little further offshore, landed a few nicer ones and sea bass, moved back inshore and found better action the rest of the day. On Wednesday the fish were hungry, despite fog all day on the ocean, and the action was very good. A couple of patrons came one short of limiting out, and none of the fish was too big, and a 3-1/2-pounder won the pool. The Fishermen is also targeting bluefish on certain evenings, and bluefishing was good Sunday evening at the rocks, and three stripers were boated that weighed 19 to 25.4 pounds. The Fishermen is fishing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily in the ocean, and the vessel is chartered this Friday, Saturday and Tuesday mornings, and no open trips will sail then. Afternoon bluefishing trips are running 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

On the <b>Atlantic Star</b> fluking in the bay was okay, not bad, and some bigger fish were landed in the past days, and the fishing improved on some trips, and other trips were tough, depending on whether conditions created the right drifts, Capt. Tom said. Herb Brennan hauled aboard a 12-pound 9-ounce whopper on Tuesday afternoon, and Jeff Romano, 12, took a 5-pound 12-ouncer on the same trip. Steve McPeak, who scored a number of big fish on the boat lately, did it again that morning with an 8-pound 3-ouncer. Tom thought Monday’s fishing was nothing exceptional, if he remembered correctly, but Tuesday produced those big fish. On Wednesday 5- or 5-1/2-pounders probably won the pools. On that morning’s trip patrons picked fish every place the boat fished, and there was no drift most of the time. That was a shame, because fluke were landed despite no drift, and the catch probably would’ve been considerably better if there had been a drift. In the afternoon the drift was a bit fast, and customers at first had to get acclimated with heavy, 8-ounce weights and short lines. But once they learned what to do, they started catching and scored a nice, steady pick of keepers. The Atlantic Star is sailing for fluke on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The <b>CRT II</b> sailed on no fluke trips in the past few days, but previously fluking was phenomenal on the boat, Capt. Mick said. He heard that the bite dropped off suddenly and said he wasn’t surprised, considering the heat wave. But previously the past 8 or 10 trips were great, and only one was poor. Charters had been fishing for the flatties from Flynn’s Knoll to along the ocean beach down to Sea Bright. But he hoped the slow down was temporary. Some choice dates remain for charters this month, and plenty are open next month.

<b>Highlands</b>

Capt. Brian and the mate from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> fished early Tuesday morning and tackled eight decent-sized striped bass in only 2 hours in the ocean while drifting live bunker, Brian said. The fish were taken among bunker pods, and two of the linesiders weighed in the low 30-pound range, and the rest ranged in the mid 20s. Brian attempted to fish for the bass again yesterday morning but was fogged in and cancelled. Jersey Devil will compete in the Leonardo Shark Tournament this weekend, and shark charters are sailing, and sharking will only last another week or two. After shark season, charters will fish for tuna at the Mudhole and Hudson Canyon.

<b>Fisher Price Charters</b> sailed on crew trips the past three days, and on Monday and Tuesday bluefish and stripers were boated among bunker pods in the ocean, Capt. Derek said. Stripers to 25 pounds were taken, and Derek’s buddies sometimes reeled in 30 pounders. So stripers were still around, and if anyone wants to catch them, Fisher Price is available. If striper fishing doesn’t pan out, charters switch to fluking, and that action’s decent. A crew trip Wednesday was supposed to striper fish until thick fog changed the plan. The crew instead fished the Shrewsbury River for fluke and bailed 19 keepers to 5 pounds in 3 hours. Derek will search for weakfish in a week or two and see if the trout arrived. Striper charters will keep sailing, and fluking is an option, and fluking will be a focus once stripers finally depart. But weakfishing will also be on the menu. Dates are available for charters.

<b>Long Branch</b>

Surf striper fishing slowed, but stripers were blitzing on large bunker on Long Branch’s west end yesterday evening, and they were beautiful, 30- and 40-pounders, said John from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers were snagging the bunker and using them for bait, and John thought the bass also blitzed the day before. Mike Parrottino weighed in a 38-pound striper Tuesday from the wash, and Will Buff checked in a 4-1/2-pound fluke that he picked up from the suds yesterday. Every now and then a keeper fluke was biting in the surf. Bluefish occasionally stormed up and down the beaches. Nothing was heard about fishing in the Shrewsbury River.

<b>Neptune</b>

This week was very successful for fishing with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, and trips were fluking and striped bass fishing in the ocean, Capt. Ralph said. The weekly, individual-reservation trip for fluke Wednesday produced lots of flatties but not too many keepers. The ratio was probably 1 in 20, but a couple of patrons still bagged six or eight keepers, and a 24-incher was the biggest. Striper fishing was very good, so long as trips sailed during the productive hours that Ralph wanted to fish.  Stripers to 35 pounds were nailed on bunker chunks. Last Lady is also offering shark charters, and one trip recently drilled 20 of the beasts. Individual-reservation fluke trips sail every Wednesday, and some openings are available in the next couple of weeks.

<b>Belmar</b>

Surf fishing for striped bass was excellent last night at Shark River Inlet, and the fish have been blitzing bunker there the past two or three weeks, said Mike from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. The bass are all 35 pounds and larger, and anglers have to be there at the right time, but if they are, they latch into a big one as soon as the line drops into the water. Anglers who checked in stripers included: Bill Beutsch, 40-pounder, pencil popper; Mel Martins, 19-pound 8-ouncer, pencil popper; Olley Balletti, 30-pounder from a boat off Spring Lake; Aimee Newman, 35-pounder from a boat off Manasquan; Brian Bedinger, 36-pounder on a pencil popper at Long Branch; Greg Hueth, 29-1/2-pounder and 26-pounder; Tred Stanek, 28-pounder and 24-pounder on a pencil popper at Bradley Beach. Fluke were hooked in both the ocean and Shark River, and many were shorts, but decent ones were sometimes landed at both places. A couple of anglers on one of the store’s rental boats grabbed three or four keepers and a bunch of shorts in the river today. A kid weighed in a 4-1/2-pounder that he pulled up from a rental boat on the river today. A 9-pound fluke was weighed in today that was taken on a party boat. 

The weekly, open-boat shark trip on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> on Wednesday bagged a mako just under 100 pounds and 5 feet long, fought two duskies 100 pounds and 150 pounds and boated four mahi  mahi from 5 to 15 pounds that swam into the slick, Capt. Tom said. Tom himself hooked a small bluefin tuna that was landed. One of the rods had been rigged with a jig that he tossed into the water to attempt to catch a shark that was spotted, but the tuna grabbed the jig and took off. So it was a good trip, and there was lots of life in the water, including whales and porpoises, and the water was fairly clear and not green and was 70 degrees. A few openings are left for the Wednesday trips that only sail through July, so two more trips are left. But if the sharks are still biting, and if there’s demand, more might be added. Still, Tom thinks sharking might be winding down, so July might be it. Shark charters are also sailing, and one is slated for this weekend. A striped bass charter on Tuesday produced stripers to 25 pounds and blues to 12 pounds at the Shrewsbury Rocks on bunker chunks, and the fish bit in the middle of the day, and not just during the morning or low-light hours. Tons of bunker schooled along the ocean beaches that day, but Tom saw no stripers harassing them, so he pushed off to the rocks. Charters have also been fluking in the ocean and scoring well so long as there was a drift. Tom heard that bluefishing dropped off because the fish began spawning, and even the Belmar party boats had no luck. That was unwelcome news to Tom because he gets his bluefish shark baits from the party boats. But he did keep blues from Tuesday’s trip for sharking, and he might just have to buy blues from the co-op, he joked.

<b>Brielle</b>

Fluking was okay or fair in the ocean within 40 feet, and the fish hugged nearly all of the coast, but Long Branch, Mantoloking, Seaside and Island Beach State Park were typical spots, said John from <b>Brielle Bait & Tackle</b>. A few of the fish were beginning to appear at Sea Girt Reef. Fluking in the Manasquan River was decent, and a customer bagged two keepers and released five shorts in the river, and the stretch from the Point Pleasant Canal to the Railroad Bridge seemed to produce. The shop is fully loaded with all the fluke baits, including killies. Killies had been scarce this season, but the shop never ran out. It might’ve come close sometimes, but now the stock is plentiful. Bluefishing came to a halt the past couple of days, maybe because of the spawn or the new moon or some reason. A few bit around the inlets in the past days, but the usual Mudhole fishery took a nosedive but previously was hopping.  Striped bass kept being boated and beached in the surf among bunker pods. Boaters usually snagged the bunker then livelined them for bait, and so did surf casters when possible. When no bunker swam close enough to the beaches, surf fishers scored on pencil poppers. The poppers seemed more popular up north, and fishing with bunker seemed more common locally. The stripers might appear at Asbury Park one day, Bradley Beach another, disappear the next, and so on. The Paramount sailed for ling yesterday, but John heard no report from the boat yet. The boat was ling fishing a couple of times a week and sea bassing the rest of the week.

A charter on the <b>Katie H</b> on Saturday will probably chase striped bass in the morning and then go fluking, Capt. Mike said. Fishing for both has been great on the boat so far, so if anglers want to go, it’s a good time. The stripers are following bunker and are bouncing around to different locations, and Mike heard about stripers caught to the south earlier this week, but previously they were farther north. Anglers onboard are snagging the bunker with snag hooks and then livelining them for striper bait. Charters are already booking canyon tuna trips, and it’s time to reserve preferred dates.

Bluefishing was excellent until Sunday night, an e-mail from the <b>Jamaica</b> said. On that night the fleet returned to the area where loads of blues were being boated every night, but the fish were gone. On Monday the crew had a choice of either looking farther offshore or heading south, where a new body of blues pushed in, according to a report heard early that morning. So the boat headed south, and blues started hitting soon after the anchor was dropped. The action wasn’t as wild as some previous trips, but it was very good. Dan Hospodar was one of the high hooks and reeled in 12, and Mike Benedetto won the pool with a 14-pounder. The fleet that kept fishing north eventually found a body of blues 4 miles southeast from where they had been, and one boat fished there that night and got into a very good catch. The Jamaica is fishing for bluefish 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. every day. The boat’s canyon tuna schedule is now available. The <b>Atlantis</b> is available for charters for groups from 18 to 120 for day and night fishing for any species available inshore or offshore. <b>Bogan’s Boating School</b> is offering the boating safety course required in New Jersey, and the test-out option is also available, and so are private classes at your own location. Visit bogansboatingschool.com for info.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Striped bass fishing was very good in the evenings after 6 or 7 o’clock in the ocean from Manasquan Inlet to the Shrewsbury Rocks, said Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>. Live bunker was the ticket, and if anglers couldn’t find live bunker, the fishing was going to be tough. Andrea’s Toy is also offering fluke/sea bass combo trips, but ever since striper fishing turned back on last week, charters have wanted to striper fish. Mid-shore charters and open-boat trips are also sailing for a mixed bag of sharks and bluefin tuna. Charters and open trips will eventually run to Hudson Canyon for mixed bags of tuna, mahi mahi, sharks, swordfish and tilefish, but the canyon fishing is definitely slow so far. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag trips for fun and greater chances of hooking up.

Fishing for fluke had been excellent before last weekend in the ocean, but then the bottom dropped out from south winds that cooled the water, and the new moon and strong currents didn’t help, said Capt. Allen from <b>Reel Class Charters</b>. A fluke trip Monday was terrible off Belmar and Sea Girt, and a bunch of shorts and skates bit, and no keepers were landed, although the trip was cut short at 11 a.m. because of a family emergency. Fluke trips were also slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, but Tuesday’s anglers postponed because of the heat, and fog forced Wednesday’s trip to be postponed. But fluking will pick up again, and west winds are needed to improve conditions, and Reel Class targets fluke until the season closes. Allen will probably start fluking at the rocks soon instead of along the beaches, because the flatties will depart the shallows along the beaches soon. When Reel Class starts fishing the rocks, sea bass will start to be mixed in with catches, a bonus on the trips. Striped bass turned on a bit in the past few days, pretty much just north of Manasquan Inlet in the ocean, and the good-sized stripers like 25-pounders chased bunker and could be landed in the early mornings and late in the day or during low-light. Allen also knew that bluefish started to spawn, so bluefish suddenly stopped biting. Fluke charters and open-boat trips, called Fluke Till Ya Puke Marathons, are sailing, and sometimes the trips will be fluke/sea bass combos.

Lots of fluke were hooked from the wall at Manasquan Inlet near <b>Alex’s Bait & Tackle</b>, and many were shorts, but plenty were keepers from 1 to 6 pounds, Dave said. Jill Weber checked in a 1.7-pounder today. Another customer today landed a 3-pounder and lost a 6-pounder from the wall. Tinker mackerel, squid, spearing and sand eels were getting hit, and all were stocked except tinkers. Blackfish were biting along the inlet rocks, and no green crabs were stocked for bait, but the tog were sucking down clams that are in stock. Surf fishers were getting into stripers now from Spring Lake to Deal, and a few of the fish swam other spots, but that stretch was very good. If the sharpies could find bunker schools and snag and drop them, that was best.

<b>Bricktown</b>

Thirty-pound stripers were dragged from the surf over the weekend from the Thunderbird to Island Beach State Park, said Bob from <b>Jersey Coast Bait-N-Tackle</b>. Boaters were picking up fluke in the ocean off Point Pleasant, Brick and Lavallette, and a few weakfish were biting in northern Barnegat Bay near the Mantoloking Bridge and in the back bays. They were finicky and spotty and would hit one day and not the next. No reports were heard about snapper blues showing up in the back waters, but snappers are due to arrive. Crabbing was very good.

<b>Toms River</b>

Good-sized stripers were weighed in that pounced on bunker in the ocean, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Boaters snagged the bunker from schools in the ocean and dropped them back down for bait. Scott Robinson showed off a 48-1/2-pound striper, and Tom Bottomly weighed a 39-pounder. Bart Brooks checked in a 31-1/2-pounder, and George Krug, his son Pete Krug and Kevin Doyle totaled four stripers that weighed 21 pounds, 24 pounds, 27 pounds and 29 pounds. Jason Landino and brother John bagged a 40-pounder, a 32-pounder and a 28-pounder. Surf fishing was slow, and the water temp dropped from southern winds and was 57 to 62 degrees in the past four days. Stripers in the suds were only occasionally beached on fresh bunker. Fluking seemed better at rough bottom toward Manasquan and farther north, where the water was relatively warmer. Murphy’s is stocking 6-inch frozen herring that customers were using for fluke on a hook with no squid or anything, a good big-fluke bait. The Tires and the Sea Girt reef put out sea bass, despite cold water, and in Barnegat Bay fluke fishing was okay around the BB marker and BI marker and the inlet. No real population of weakfish in the bay was turning on yet except a few spikes.

<b>Seaside</b>

Not much changed since last week, but a few big stripers were hauled from the surf, such as a 27-pounder that was clammed and checked in Wednesday, said the fishing report on <b>Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. Maybe north winds this weekend will trigger a bite. Loads of 1- to 2-pound bluefish hit poppers and metal at Johnny Allens Cove in Barnegat Bay, and fluke were sometimes caught in the bay. The surf was 2 to 3 feet, 66 degrees and clean. <a href=" http://www.bettyandnicks.com/fish.shtml" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for the latest.

<b>Waretown</b>

After the <b>Hi Flier</b> made a left out of Barnegat Inlet this morning, and after a 16-1/2-mile cruise north, an acre of bunker was found off Mantoloking, Capt. Dave DeGennaro said in an e-mail. There was a slow start, but Al Wallin then put the first 22-pound striper in the boat. A bunch more drifts were made through a massive bunker school, and almost every drift resulted in a short pick up, a dropped bait or a good run-off that the trigger was pulled on too soon. After a few more missed opportunities, the anglers on the charter had honed their hook setting, and Steve Wallin and Ray Seckinger helped deck four more bass: a 22-pounder, 32-pounder, another 32-pounder and a 33-pounder for a total of five fish. The action was awesome, Dave said, and they were back at the dock by noon. He’ll head back out tomorrow on another charter, and he’s got an opening 5 a.m. Saturday. The trip has to start early to get on the fish before heavy traffic. On Sunday and Monday trips will set sights on bluefin tuna and bonito offshore.

No fishing seemed hot and heavy like a week or more ago, and a combination of the weather and fog kind of made fishing a slow pick this week, said Dale from <b>L&H Woods & Water</b>. Southern winds dropped water temps, and a customer who fished this morning said Barnegat Inlet was 53 to 54 degrees, and the ocean off the Governor’s Mansion was 61. Fluking seemed slow in the ocean and Barnegat Bay, and the bay was also cool. Customers might’ve picked up decent flattie catches in the ocean and bay on some occasions but found a slow bite on others, and no big fluke were weighed in this week. Even bluefishing seemed to drop off in the bay, and Dale was hearing about none trolled in the ocean. The bay’s weakfishing was yet to start, and quite a few customers who are experienced weakfishers were reporting none of the fish yet. Grass shrimp, the popular bait for the weaks, were being carried frozen at the shop, and live shrimp will be stocked starting the first week of August. Crabbing was good, according to customers. Bunker and stripers that chased them in the ocean seemed considerably scattered compared with last week. Last Tuesday Dale and John, the owner of the shop, crushed 22 stripers to 36 pounds in the ocean off Bay Head and Point Pleasant and were back at the dock by 8 a.m., probably the best fishing they’d have in a long time. But this week on Monday Bob Flanagan weighed in a 44.65-pound striper he hooked on bunker in the ocean, and Joe Robertazzi checked in a 30-pounder from the ocean on bunker. Nothing was heard about offshore fishing, and previously sharking was good at places like the Fingers and the Glory Hole, but some anglers also shark fished and caught none. One customer shark fished four times with no success. Water at the canyon was cold, offering no attraction for tuna. Usually bluefin tuna are at least biting by now, and scattered reports rolled in about bluefins landed, and shark fishers sometimes reported seeing them, but no reliable concentration of the fish were around.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

A few stripers appeared in the surf the past few days at Barnegat Light, Loveladies and Harvey Cedars, and the biggest were probably 18 pounds, not too large, but anglers were picking away at them nicely, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. Bunker was catching them, and fluke were sometimes taken from the wash, and squid strips or Fin-S Fish should draw strikes. Nick, co-owner of the shop, fluke fished Barnegat Bay today and landed four keepers and four shorts. A bunch of 12- and 13-inch weakfish showed up in the bay, and everyone was saying they threw Gulp shrimp in glow or nuclear chicken to catch them. Live grass shrimp, the favorite bait for the weaks, will start being carried tomorrow. Anglers were having fun fighting big sea herring at Barnegat Inlet. Nothing was heard about offshore fishing, but customers including the Hitchners on the Pez Machine were sailing today, so news should roll in afterward.

<b>Brighton Beach</b>

Nice-sized flounder were pulled from the surf, and the best reports came from 70th to 78th streets, said Christian from <b>Oceanside Bait & Tackle</b>. Cooler water temps brought back a few stripers in the surf, and Christian heard about good catches at Beach Haven, and the fish bit all the way up to Barnegat Light. Stripers also chased pods of bunker farther off in the ocean. Decent catches of fluke still came from the bay at the Middle Grounds and Grassy Channel and also farther north at Meyer’s Hole. Offshore fishing produced lots of mako sharks and thresher sharks, and some bluefin tuna were appearing at the Fingers. Baits at the shop include live spots, live eels, minnows, fresh bunker, surf clams, all the frozen baits including spearing and sand eels and a full stock of Berkley Gulps. Oceanside is a new shop that opened Memorial Day weekend at 8201 Long Beach Boulevard on the southern end of Long Beach Island.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

An occasional good-sized flounder could be reeled in from the bay, and a 4-1/2-pounder was the largest checked in today, said the fishing report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. Several reports rolled in about good brown shark fishing the past couple of days at Grassy Channel just south of the 138 marker along the Intracoastal Waterway, a fishery that takes place every summer. Sharks to 6 feet and larger were fought, and mackerel on a 9/0 hook with a steel leader is usually large enough to do the trick. Once the sharks are larger than 6 feet, it’s a tough battle on bay tackle. But such a battle is the whole reason to be there! Earlier in the week boaters reported good flounder catches in 60 feet in the ocean off the towers on Long Beach Island and above and below Little Egg Reef. Oppressive heat often made fishing challenging this week, and the air temp reached 97 degrees Monday. On a scale of 1 to 10, green flies rated 16 around the local waters.

<b>Absecon</b>

Back-bay flounder fishing was pretty decent, and the fish were hugging the deep holes now, said Alex from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. A 10-pounder was weighed in Saturday, but customers today were mostly reporting catches of 1-foot blues from the bay. Weakfish were beginning to spread to the Absecon area from Great Bay. Stripers can always be caught at night along the bridges on live eels and live spots.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Surf casters pulled kingfish from the suds, and there no hordes of the fish, but some were around, said Jack from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. Try dunking bloodworms for the kings, and waters along the jetties held triggerfish and sea bass that both bit clams. Tog also clung to the rocks and clamped down on green crabs. Flounder could still be caught in the back bay, and the weakfish population might’ve increased a little. Stripers were occasionally boated a mile off the ocean beaches. Offshore fishing was pretty decent for yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi toward Spencer Canyon and such places. Bluefin tuna roamed the Cigar, but every boater and his mother fished there. The <b>Carly A</b>, the store’s offshore charter boat, is running an open-boat tuna trip tomorrow, and a number of open tuna trips are slated. Call the boat if interested. All the baits mentioned in this report are stocked, and so are live spots, good for stripers, big weakfish, big flounder, tuna and more. “Everything eats a spot,” Jack said.

<b>Margate</b>

Back-bay flounder fishing slowed a bit, but the flatties were still bagged on the <b>Fish N’ Fun</b> on two 4-hour trips daily, and ocean flounder fishing was showing signs of improvement, Capt. Jay said. His bigger boat, the <b>Jessie O’</b>, was fishing the ocean, and a trip to the reef Tuesday produced 14 flounder including four keepers, sea bass and small bluefish. The Jessie O’ is sailing on charters and 8-hour, open-boat, bottom-fishing trips daily when no charter is booked. Party cruises are also available on both boats, and catering can be provided.

<b>Longport</b>

Open-boat tuna trips will leave the dock July 20 and 22 and August 12 and will also sail every Sunday, running 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. and limited to six passengers, Capt. Mike said. A 24-hour tuna trip will take place September 2 and will also be limited to six. Five-hour inshore charters are targeting sea bas, porgies, flounder, triggerfish “and any other slow, lethargic bottom dweller,” Mike joked. Inshore trolling charters are available for bluefish, bonito, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel and small tuna. Dolphin cruises set sail 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with up to 20 passengers.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Flounder swam the bottom from the surf to the wrecks, and the back bay held small ones, said Dan from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Kingfishing was starting to improve in the wash, and the fish hit bloodworms and FishBites bloods, and both are stocked. Few striped bass except “the occasional lost one” bit in the ocean. Tuna roamed the deep of the Spencer and Wilmington canyons, and bluefins were tackled at the Hambone and 28-Mile Wreck. Some of the bluefins hit Shimano Butterfly Jigs, and the jigs, rods and reels are carried. Offshore baits in stock include butterfish, ballyhoos, mackerel and chum, and inshore baits include shedder crabs, minnows and the usual frozen baits. Minnows have been scarce at times, but they were stocked at the moment.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Back-bay striped bass trips were the focus the past couple of days with Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>, he said. Mike Drummey took one of the trips and walloped nine stripers on the flats behind Sea Isle on popper lures. Creek Chubs and Smack-Its will do the trick. The popper fishing was good, and the action was a typical summertime pattern. The fish bit during the right conditions, namely high tides at sunrise or sunset, and those tides were happening right now. Joe was finding the fish while poling the flats, often targeting areas around creek mouths. No large concentrations of stripers were showing up lately, for some reason. Instead a fish or two would be found at each place. That’s not necessarily normal, and sometimes more stripers will congregate, but not lately for Joe, and there was no apparent reason. A friend said he came across a large concentration. Still, Joe’s anglers were catching a bunch of stripers, and it was prime time to hook them on poppers, great sport with every hit seen. The fish attack the surface lures in summer or in warm water, and Joe saw a broad range of water temps from 66 degrees to 80 degrees, and stripers even bit in the 80-degree water, awfully warm. Joe tends to search for 70- or 71-degree water at this time of year for stripers. Joe is now also fishing for stripers at night, a typical summertime trip. He was heading out last night and tonight on fly rodding trips for stripers at the bridges and docks under the lights. This is usually sight fishing, and Clouser flies in chartreuse or white work well. Line weight isn’t so important, but a light sinking line is effective. Joe’s trips came across no bluefish in the bay this week, but he was targeting stripers in areas where blues are uncommon. Last week a charter drilled a mess of bluefish, and blues have been holding at spots like Townsend’s Inlet. Some of the blues were larger than usual, and Joe even heard about a 10-pound slammer caught, but that was very large and not typical. Flounder were still biting in the bay, and the flattie fishing was certainly slower than earlier in the season, but the fish could be landed. Try the deeper spots, and plain minnows on a hook are Joe’s preference at this time of year. Joe plans to run to the offshore canyons for tuna this weekend, and no specific canyon reports were heard in the past days. Joe’s last canyon trip found water temps evenly dispersed with no breaks to attract concentrations of fish, and the bite was slower than very good fishing he had before, when temp breaks formed. But that will change throughout the season. He was sure that inshore spots like the Cigar, Massey’s Canyon and the Ham Bone were holding bluefin tuna, and that action is affected by boat traffic. A friend fished 19-Fathom Lump on Monday and boated one bluefin and saw no other tuna.

<b>Avalon</b>

The Low Profile, a boat from <b>Over Under Adventures</b>, is making its way to Avalon to fish for big game for the rest of the summer and fall after fishing in the Bahamas since winter. The vessel arrived in Ocean City, Md., and is fishing there for a moment before reaching Avalon next week. Several of Over Under’s boats are fishing from OC for the entire season, and a charter on one of them, the Justified, nailed 12 bluefin tuna from 44 to 46 ½ inches, keeping a limit of one, on Tuesday, a report on Over Under’s web site said. The fish bit trolled ballyhoos, mostly on way-backs and planers. Over Under’s boat Pretty Work was also fishing that day from OC and got into a dozen bluefins, and two were over 47 inches, so a full limit of one bluefin under and two over 47 was bagged. On Monday on the Pretty Work a charter bailed a mixed catch of six yellowfin tuna from 30 to 50 pounds and eight mahi mahi in 30 fathoms. The best concentration of yellowfins seemed 20 miles from the best concentration of bluefins, making it difficult to target both in the same day. Still, both species were a short ride from port from Maryland.  Check out Over Under’s schedule of <a href="http://overundercharters.com/?page=opendates" target="_blank"> open-boat trips</a>, and more dates will be added as groups call and ask about splitting costs with other anglers.

<b>Cape May</b>

Capt. Gary from the <b>Sea Fox</b> competed in the Ocean/Viking Showdown today with friends, he said. They went 4 for 7 on bluefin tuna at the inshore lumps, and Gary believed a 57-1/2-pounder was the biggest his crew weighed in, and they released a larger one. A considerably larger one pulled the hook and was lost. The bluefins hit horse ballyhoo both skirted and non-skirted in the trolling-only event, and a couple of fish hit in the morning, but the real bite took place mid day. The water was 73 degrees, and seas were rough and 3 to 5 feet or maybe 4 to 6 in northeast winds at first, but winds switched to westerly later, and seas calmed down. 

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> was competing in the Ocean/Viking Showdown today on a friend’s boat, he said last night. Tuna fishing seemed to be improving a little each day, and a friend trolled Massey’s Canyon on Monday and nailed five bluefin tuna, keeping one. The friend said clouds of bait filled the fish-finder screen, so sand eels were thick. George heard about a few bluefins hooked on the chunk, so chunking was starting. He’ll run a bottom-fishing charter Saturday, probably targeting flounder at the Old Grounds, and that fishing usually begins to be good by now. He’ll also run an inshore trolling charter Sunday, and small blues can be hooked on the trip, and not many bonito were around yet. Loads of bonito were being caught on those trips last year at this time.

Stripers could be eeled or clammed at the inlets at night, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Croakers came into the surf around the jetties, biting bits of clam. Frozen, salted clams were best and are stocked, but fresh clams are also carried. A few weakfish could be picked up in the wash on bloodworms, also stocked, and stripers could be reeled in from the suds in the early mornings or late evenings or on overcast days on clams. Lots of flounder carpeted the back bay, and the keeper ratio wasn’t too good, but a big one was landed once in a while. Delaware Bay gave up flounder off Fortescue, but Flounder Alley and Brown Shoal also held the flatties. Tuna fishing sounded decent at the southern canyons over the weekend.

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