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<b>Brooklyn</b>

An open-boat trip sailed for sea bass on the <b>Big M Express</b> yesterday, but the fishing was a tough grind, the report on the boat’s web site said. Both drifting and anchoring were tried, and several spots were fished, but the fish just weren’t biting, and it was one of those days. Short fluke, blackfish and ling were hooked, and more shorts seemed to bite than before. Seas were rough at first but calmed down early, and the rest of the day was beautiful. “I guess it could have been worse,” Capt. Steve said in the report. “Bad fishing and crappy fishing would have really stunk.” An open-boat fluke trip ran Saturday, but the bite was also off, and two keepers and 20 shorts were reeled in. The boat started fishing at Ambrose Channel, but the current was too strong, and it sailed to Chapel Hill Channel, and a few shorts were picked. The vessel headed back to Ambrose when the current slacked, but the action was still slow. It was just one of those days, Steve said. Open-boat trips take place every day when no charter is booked.

<b>Staten Island</b>

A mess of bluefish were hooked with <b>Frenzy Fishing Charters</b> near the Verrazano Bridge on Thursday on light tackle, and big striped bass tried to eat a couple of the 2-pounders that were hooked, so the linesiders were still around, Capt. Tommy Verderosa said. He would’ve nailed the big bass if he had brought live bunker to fish, he said, and a friend also landed stripers near the bridge at night. Cocktail blues have been schooling everywhere, and Tommy was seeing them along the Staten Island beaches. Six short fluke were also reeled in on the trip at various spots, and Frenzy couldn’t fish the areas Tommy wanted to fluke fish, because fog was thick. Fluking wasn’t that great lately, and Frenzy was landing some, but no big ones. Tommy hits the deeper water at the channels for trophy fluke, and shallower spots can also hold big ones, but chances are better in the deep. He especially targets trophies and knows a lot of tricks and methods. Tommy will compete in the Vinny Sasek Fluke Tournament this weekend, and he won the event a couple of years ago. His fluke charters have been dunking big strip baits on a rig with a teaser 16 inches above with a Berkley Gulp on the teaser, and it was working surprisingly well. Many types of Gulped worked, and the flatties were hammering the rubber bait. A friend was fishing big sardines for fluke lately and pulling up big sea bass around Ambrose Channel, so the lumpheads were also on tap. So fluke, blues and sea bass were available, and the larger stripers at the bridge were a possibility, and Tommy also targets schoolie stripers throughout the season at places like along the pilings. It’s fun on light tackle, and now is also a prime time to target the stripers on fly rods, if anyone wants to give that a shot, even if new to fly fishing. Tommy is a fly fisher, and he also builds rods. Weakfish sometimes also show up at spots like the pilings. An angler from the dock landed some weaks near the Verrazano Bridge, and Tommy saw fish on his fish finder that were stacked up and looked like weaks. A few weaks were also swimming Princess Bay, but those were the only weakfishing reports Tommy heard so far.

<b>Bayonne</b>

Customers were mostly trying to catch fluke along Ambrose Channel, and some said they scored good catches at the Shrewsbury Rocks, said Capt. Akira from <b>True World Tackle</b> and <b>True World Tackle Charters</b>. Fluking near the Verrazano Bridge seemed okay. One customer was headed to the Glory Hole yesterday to try for sharks.

<b>Keyport</b>

Kevin Dachta’s party on the <b>Lucky Carm</b> had a difficult time picking fluke at Reach Channel on Saturday, but they managed some, Capt. Carmine said. They also fought blues to 8 pounds, and Carmine was surprised to see the 8-pounder, because blues have usually been smaller. Kevin’s brothers Mike and Jeremiah and friend Andreas were also aboard. Lots of baby weakfish were caught and released when castnetting for bait, and one of the fish that was hooked on the trip spit up a baby weakfish. Peanut bunker were the bait castnetted, and peanuts were now showing up. 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 flexible if necessary.  

Barry Weinstock and friends sailed with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> and bagged five fluke to 20 inches, released three shorts and caught six blues 2 pounds apiece at the Belford Flats on a Magic Hour trip from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Capt. Joe said. The fluke bit killies and squid, and the blues attacked Crippled Herrings. Mike Werdann and friends were aboard a charter Sunday morning and bagged four keeper fluke to 21 inches, released three shorts and caught eight blues at different spots along Reach Channel. The same baits took the fluke, and the same lures scored the blues. Open-boat trips are sailing 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Wednesday when no charter is booked, and call to reserve.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fluke fishing was pretty slow, but sometimes conditions created the right drifts and produced a few catches, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Atlantic Star</b>. Thursday morning’s trip picked some of the fish, and Thursday afternoon’s outing started to turn up the flatties, but then winds began pushing the drift too fast. Friday morning was windy in the bay, and the boat moved to the ocean, but the ocean’s bite was terrible. In the afternoon the boat fished the bay for one of the better catches of the past days. Fishing was tough both Saturday and Sunday, but a few fluke were bagged. Thursday’s trips produced the only big fluke, a 7-1/2-pounder that Kevin Mikita nailed, and a 7-3/4-pounder that Carlos Hernandez hauled aboard. Sometimes July will produce a lull for a moment, but sometimes July is good, and other times the action picks up in August, and sometimes it’s slow. The one thing Tom’s learned over the past 30 years of fishing is that there’s no predicting, but he hopes fluking bounces back. Even catches of sea robins dropped off, but skates bit and were sometimes a nuisance. The boat should keep fluke fishing until the season ends September 10, and then trips will probably target weakfish. 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.

Capt. Ron from the <b>Fishermen</b> thought fluking would be slow Sunday with the impending weather, but a good drift with a 2-to-4 keeper ratio surprised him, he said in the fishing report on the boat’s web site. One patron came one fluke short of a limit, and two nailed five keepers, but some also scored zilch. Customers had to work the baits hard to find a bite, and a 5.4-pound doormat was the pool winner, and naturally an angler who never hooked a fluke before caught the fish on the last drift of the day. Saturday’s fluking was horrible, but two fluke trips ran Friday, and the morning’s fishing was okay, and the afternoon’s trip was good and produced especially big ones. In the morning three flatties over 5 pounds apiece were bailed, and a 7-1/2-pounder won the pool. The afternoon gave up a very good bite along the ocean beach, and the boat left them biting when the trip was finished. The pool fish was an 11-pound whopper, and other flatties from 5 to 8 pounds came aboard.  Bluefishing was excellent on the boat Friday night, and eight stripers to 41 pounds were also nailed! The Fishermen is fishing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, usually in the ocean, but a charter is booked this Wednesday morning, so no open trip will take place that day. Afternoon bluefishing trips are running 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

<b>Highlands</b>

Fluking and bluefishing was good through the past days for <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b> both in the bay and in the ocean, Capt. Bob said in an e-mail. Fluke to 7 pounds and blues to 8 pounds were drilled, and the fluke were picked up at Reach Channel, Flynn’s Knoll, Terminal Channel and the ocean from Sandy Hook’s North Beach to Elberon. In the ocean fluking was best in 20 to 40 feet, and fluke on the trips bit well on killies with squid, spearing with squid or shads with squid, and moving the bait and contact with the bottom were key. The blues were taken in the bay and ocean while the fish chased bunker and rainfish. The Foresman family charter put together a good catch of flatties including 17- to 19-1/2-inch keepers and numerous shorts. Peanut bunker were starting to show up, and a 10-inch weakfish was hooked on a trip. Only a couple of dates are open for charters this month, and August is beginning to fill. Fall striper, weakfish and blackfish charters are already being hooked.

Fishing for fluke was kind of tough over the weekend, because water temps dropped a couple of degrees, probably because of southwest winds toward the end of the week, and winds blew against the tide Saturday, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. His trips fished the deep water and rough bottom at the channels toward New York between the bay and ocean, where the bigger flatties are found. The area’s water temps dropped to 64 or 65 degrees from 73 degrees. Anglers onboard tossed bucktails with spearing and squid, and Fisher Price also swims live snapper blues or peanut bunker when available. Derek heard a couple of reports about weakfish landed, but nothing serious. Weakies turned on farther south at Barnegat Bay, so Derek hoped those trout would push north to local waters, because his trips will target them when they arrive. A couple of friends bunker chunked good catches of striped bass to 35 pounds and lots of blues at the Shrewsbury Rocks, and if anyone’s interested in striper fishing, Fisher Price is still willing to sail for the linesiders.

<b>Sea Bright</b>

<b>Two Rivers Charters</b> came upon a mess of big stripers in the ocean on a trip early last week, bailing linesiders from 30 to 47 pounds on live bait, Capt. Fletcher Chayes said. The trip was originally going to sail for sea bass, but the stripers were spotted. Afterward Two Rivers sailed on three fluke charters through the week but targeted the same spot for stripers in the mornings, reeling in bass to 15 and 16 pounds. They seemed to be holding in the spot, an area a little farther from shore where bunker schools were apparently attracting them. The fluking on the trips produced flatties to 5 pounds “basically in the ocean,” Fletcher said, and the fluke bit as long as south winds didn’t blow too much and chill the water. Charters will keep focusing on fluke and will also run for early-morning stripers on the fluke trips, and weakfish will be targeted when those fish turn on. Fletcher also took a crabbing trip with kids, and crabbing was good.

Capt. Jake and <b>Jersey Shore Fishing Charters</b> ran to the Monster Ledge, Glory Hole and the Arundo wreck to search for bluefin tuna on the troll Saturday, he said. No tuna bit, but bluefish did, and a huge, unidentified shark was seen at the HA buoy. The water was very green, and the trip fished along a temperature break from 71 to 73.5 degrees. “What was trolled?” he was asked. What wasn’t trolled would be a better question, he laughed. Everything from spreader bars to daisy chains and small feathers was dragged. No reports were saying bluefin arrived yet, but Jersey Shore is attempting to make the first reports, and the crew will probably take a fun trip this Saturday to look for bluefins again. A fluke charter was supposed to sail today but was probably going to be weathered out. Fluking’s been pretty good on charters, and bigger ones swam the deep water. Jake was starting to hear about weakfish beginning to arrive in fair numbers along Reach Channel, and a charter Wednesday will probably fluke fish but also try weakfishing.

<b>Neptune</b>

Two striped bass trips with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> on Saturday caught the linesiders to 35 pounds in the morning and afternoon, Capt. Ralph said. Stripers on his trips are being bunker chunked, unless a school of bunker with fish underneath is seen, and then bunker are snagged and livelined. A load of bluefish was also hooked on the two trips, and the blues seemed to be biting again after the spawn. Fluke trips in the ocean were also going well for Last Lady, including a very good fluke charter Saturday, despite a zillion boats in the water because of a fluke tournament. Individual-reservation fluke trips are sailing every Wednesday, and one is also leaving the dock Monday, August 13, and openings are available on the trips. Canyon tuna trips will begin in August, and canyon tuna fishing looked like it might start late this year, because not much was biting so far. An inshore charter was weathered out today, but the weather this season’s been good, and anglers have been fortunate.

<b>Brielle</b>

Big Al Wutkowski on the Flume bailed eight striped bass from 28 to 40 pounds on snagged bunker in the ocean and released the fish, said Dave from the <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Stripers obviously could still be caught, even if the action was dropping off. Dylan Danelson, 8, landed three keeper fluke, including a 3-pound pool winner, on the party boat Gambler while fishing with granddad Alan Sherman. Fluking seemed either very good or slow for customers who boated the ocean, and the fish were beginning to appear at deeper spots like the wrecks and reefs. The Crisdel sailed to the west wall of Hudson Canyon and came back with a 58-pound yellowfin tuna and a 40-pound longfin tuna Saturday, when the Heart to Heart also fished the Hudson for a 45-1/2-pound yellowfin. Boaters said they found some nice water in the Hudson.

A trip on the <b>Reel-Ality</b> on the Manasquan River produced five keeper fluke from 18 to 20 inches, lots of shorts and bluefish Sunday morning, Capt. Larry said. Sea robins also bit, and the fluke were especially fat, thick ones. The river was 71 degrees, and far upriver was 75 degrees on low tide, and fewer flatties bit far upriver, where the water was also cloudy.  A short, 1-hour trip the previous night hooked short fluke in the river. No weakfish were found in the river yet, and a sea bass charter will sail this coming weekend. Larry was hearing no reports about bluefin tuna in the nearby inshore ocean, and the only bluefin catches he was hearing about were off South Jersey. But the Reel-Ality targets bluefins if they show up locally.

Ocean fluking’s been good for <b>The Troll Charters</b> off Bay Head, and 4- to 6-pounders were among the catch, and plenty of shorts, including just-barely shorts, were reeled up, Capt. Jack said. The fish were basically everywhere, and it looked like the “summer rush” started. Fluke trips will continue to run, and charters for bonito, false albacore and other speedsters that are a blast to catch on trolled feathers will begin to sail to places like Manasquan Ridge and the Sea Girt Reef. Striper fishing mostly petered out until it picks up again in the fall.

Fluking on a charter on the <b>Katie H</b> locked up on 18 keepers in the ocean Saturday, Capt. Mike said. The boat did have to move around, and fishing to the north was slow, so the boat moved south to a little north of the Seaside pier. A slow drift at first caused a slow bite, but eventually fluke starting coming up. Snapper blues 1 pound or lighter also bit. The weather was fine that day, and strong northeast winds that were forecast seemed to show up Sunday instead. Nothing much was happening with canyon tuna yet, and even inshore bluefins seemed scarce. Mike did hear reports about bluefins taken at the Mudhole, and the fish were mostly scarce. But canyon charters are filling up, and even if anglers are thinking about taking the trip for tuna in September or October, it’s a good idea to book now. The weekend dates that everybody wants are obviously limited. A boat from the dock was leaving for the canyons last night, so Mike was anticipating hearing how it went.

Bottom fishing was good on the <b>Paramount</b> during the past week, and sea bass were hooked, and mixed weather kept the boat shuffling around to keep up with the humpbacks, and ling fishing rebounded and put up good numbers of the red hake, an e-mail from the boat said. The vessel sails on Marathon Trips from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Monday and Friday, targeting sea bass and the occasional blackfish and ling. The trips are meant to give anglers a little more time to fish and also to allow the boat to cover more ground for all species within range, from the inshore reefs and rocks to the Mudhole wrecks and areas between, wherever the fishing’s best and for whatever’s biting best. Trips are also sailing 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Thursday and every Saturday and Sunday, targeting big sea bass and occasional ling and blackfish. Deep Water Mudhole Ling Specials take place 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday, targeting ling, cod, pollock and the occasional blackfish. On Last week’s Monday Marathon Jimmy Wong took home eight ling and four sea bass, and Ralph Tionfu scored nine ling and five sea bass. On the 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. trip Saturday, Ying Ti landed nine sea bass, and Roy Clark took five ling and three sea bass, and Jack Hawkins tackled a 4-pound blackfish. On last week’s Deep Water Mudhole Ling Specials Jack Decker put the screws to 20 ling, and Den Stock nailed 18, and Willie Williams hauled up an 8-pound hake. Call the boat or visit wreckmasters.com for info.

Bluefishing was very good on the <b>Jamaica</b> on Friday night and on both the day and night trips Saturday, an e-mail from the boat said Sunday morning. Blues from 6 to 12 pounds were battled on bait in a chum slick, but some were jigged during the day, though most customers fished with bait. Pool winners included Naishwan Vailes with a 13-pound blue and Jim Sachs with a 12-1/2-pounder. The rest of the week produced a few slow trips, but the season’s been very good overall, and a new batch of fish was moving within range again. The fishing was slow on Friday’s daytime trip 15 miles offshore, but then the new fish moved in. 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>

Despite heavy boat traffic a charter Saturday on the <b>Benchmark</b> stumbled upon a large school of bunker in the ocean and nailed two 36- and 22-pound striped bass, dropped another and fought three brown sharks to 60 pounds among the menhaden, the fishing report on the boat’s web site said. The group switched to fluke fishing and bagged nine keepers to more than 4 pounds, a nice trip, the report said. On Friday evening a charter got into a good catch of fluke to 4 pounds in excellent weather, and earlier Friday a charter sailed for blues, made a few stops and then scored a pretty steady pick. On Thursday a charter picked fluke and large sea bass.

A group of anglers on the <b>Angela Rose</b> competed in the Point Pleasant Elks Fluke Tournament on Saturday, Capt. Anthony said in an e-mail. They ran north to the Shrewsbury Rocks, and at first the fishing was a slow pick with a bunch of dogfish and a skate or two biting. But the bite picked up when winds shifted and slowed. One drift produced a 5-pounder and a 4-pounder, and the biggest flattie weighed 6.3 pounds, and Anthony wondered whether the doormat made the Top 10. A bunch of sea bass were also hooked, and the total from the trip was 12 keeper fluke, six sea bass to 2 pounds, a tog and a ling. The angler who drilled the 6.3-pounder was drilled himself when a Spro bucktail was impaled in his lip. “What comes around goes around!” Anthony teased. On Sunday two anglers were aboard, and winds blew 10 to 15 from the northeast, so they fished Manasquan River at first. A couple of short fluke were landed, and boat traffic was too much, so they ran to the ocean in 2 to 4s in a light chop. They shot to Bay Head, and two keeper fluke to 21 inches were boated, and another 20 shorts were pulled in. Fishing was tough that day, but plenty of fish hugged the bottom.

<b>Seaside</b>

The surf was practically unfishable today except at the Barnegat Inlet pocket because of big seas, the fishing report from <b>Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site said. One angler fished the pocket and landed a short bass. But a couple of nice stripers were weighed in yesterday as the northeast winds did their job like usual. One of the bass was a 27-pound 2-ouncer that was the biggest striper the angler had ever caught, and he clammed the fish at Gillikins Beach at Island Beach State Park at noon. One angler sent a report to the shop, apparently through an e-mail or maybe through a form on the web site, saying Barnegat Bay was loaded with tailor blues, especially behind Island Beach along the Sedge Islands, where the blues smacked popper lures, excellent fishing for kayakers. Another angler sent a report and said a large body of mid-size weakfish was schooling around the 40 buoy in the bay, and he stopped there yesterday and got into non-stop action, and he fluked the bay beforehand and said the fluking was bad. The surf today was 3 to 4 feet, 72-degrees and choppy in rain storms. A free reel cover worth $15 is being given away with any reel purchase while supplies last. <a href=" http://www.bettyandnicks.com/fish.shtml" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for the latest.
 

<b>Waretown</b>

Blown weather forecasts made ocean fluking difficult this weekend, said Capt. John from <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b>. Many boaters cancelled trips Saturday because of forecasts for strong northeast winds, but John traveled to the dock anyway and attempted to run a trip, and he’s glad he did. The weather turned out beautiful with north/northwest winds, and a fluke trip to the ocean a little north of Island Beach State Park’s bathing beach found calm seas. But the fishing was slow, and about five keepers and 15 or 20 throwbacks were landed, and so were a dozen snapper blues, mostly in 30 to 50 feet in the 69-degree water. The forecast for Sunday was 5- to 10-knot winds, smooth sailing, but winds howled instead. John traveled to the dock again in hopes of running another fluke trip that day, but a friend radioed and told him not to bother, because the friend was on the water and had just broken through the inlet and turned back because of rough seas. So John’s trip was cancelled. Fluke charters will keep fishing, and a trip Friday will head to Barnegat Ridge for bonito and bluefish. Lots of bonito are holding there, and Perfect Drift will troll for them and might also chum and fish mackerel baits for blues. In other news, Barnegat Bay anglers were now pulling up weakfish, and Perfect Drift is also available to target them.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

The first mid-shore trip of the season for “southern speedsters” took place with <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b>, Capt. Steve said. Andy Pernerick and Chris Weed jumped aboard the trip and nailed solid action with bonito with double, triple and even quadruple headers on spoons and Zukers. A 10-pound mahi mahi also spiced up the catch, rocketing out of the water 5 feet, all lit up during the aerial display. Short strikes were also missed on the Zuckers and might’ve been bluefin tuna. Tony Shirro, owner of the Philly restaurant Latest Dish, and his friend and souse chef Rob Holloway fished Barnegat Bay for solid action, landing 20-some fluke including six keepers, bluefish and countless “Jersey tarpon” or hickory shad. Philp Engel, father-in-law Paul and Philip’s two 3- and 7-year-old sons grass shrimped the bay for a catch of cocktail blues and hickory shad.

<b>Barnegat</b>

Winds on Wednesday made fishing difficult in some places in Barnegat Bay and gave weakfish lockjaw with Tina Paprikash Popyk and Ginny “The Rock” Bailey onboard, said Capt. Melanie from <b>FisherQueen Custom Bay Charters</b> in an e-mail. But good-old blues were found in Double Creek Channel, and fluke were hooked after the tide turned. A few of the fluke were keepers, and many were shorts, and the sun came out, so the boat headed to the ocean off the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park, and thunder started after a half-hour, so the anglers sailed back to port, and then skies cleared. It was a good time on the “just-girls day out,” Mel said. She’ll compete in the Lacy Elks Fluke Tournament with good friend Capt. Bill Haluska and both of their significant others, and the event is great with a great bash afterward, she said.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

The surf was giving up plenty of kingfish on bloodworms, and striped bass were even weighed in that hit the bloods when anglers fished for kings off the end of the T-jetty, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Croakers were just beginning to appear in the suds, and lots of flounder hit both in the wash and the back bay. Tog were sometimes pulled from along the jetties, and lots of triggerfish were showing up there this year, grabbing green crabs and clams meant for tog. Fishing was “on,” Noel said, and if you can’t catch fish now, there’s no better time. The shop is carrying a full supply of baits including bloodworms, squid soaked in shedder oil, minnows, spearing, clams and green crabs.

<b>Margate</b>

<b>Fine Line Fishing Charters</b> flounder fished in the bay and ocean in the past days, Capt. Dave said. The boat was forced to fish the bay instead of the ocean Thursday and Sunday because of winds, and short flounder were dominant. On Saturday Dave fished by himself in the ocean in 45 feet off Longport, and one 21-inch keeper was landed among 12 or 15 shorts, and lots of small blues schooled. So throwbacks flounder were numerous, but Dave hoped more keepers would reappear. The water on all the trips was 65 degrees, cool for this time of year. Fine Line is now available for inshore trolling trips for bonito, false albacore and Spanish mackerel, because that action seemed to be underway. Give Dave a shout to get in on these awesome speedsters that include great-tasting ones. An unconfirmed report on the radio said bonito were found at the Dog Lump.

<b>Longport</b>

Bonito and little tunny showed up, and trips on the <b>Stray Cat</b> trolled a bunch and a couple of Spanish mackerel 15 miles offshore over the weekend, Capt. Mike said. Two and three at a time screamed the reels in a pocket of warm, 71.9-degree water, and the bonito were most numerous, and probably only two bluefish bit all weekend. Trips for these speedsters will now be a focus, especially because bottom fishing for sea bass and flounder wasn’t happening, but tuna trips are also sailing. A tuna trip was cancelled Sunday because of northeast winds, even though seas were manageable yet kicked up. It might be unusual to cancel a trip because of the wind direction, but Mike’s found that tuna fishing is lousy in easterly winds, and he won’t waste the trip. Openings are available for an open-boat, tuna-trolling trip August 12, limited to six passengers and sailing 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. More of these trips will run every Sunday in September or the 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th. Stray Cat trolls on the trips because it offers the possibility of catching more fish, including bluefin and yellowfin tuna, wahoo, mahi mahi, false albacore and more. Space is also available on two open-boat, overnight tuna trips, sailing probably 3 a.m. to 3 p.m., limited to six passengers, and call for details. Tuna fishing in the past days was good 30 to 50 miles offshore for bluefins with yellowfins and mahi mixed in.  

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> competed in the Mid Atlantic Tuna Tournament this weekend, he said. He only fished Friday in the event, and he trolled a 112-pound bluefin tuna at the Hambone on a horse ballyhoo with a blue Islander at 1 p.m. Tuna were few and far between there, but the ones that bit were big. The water was 72 to 73 degrees, dirty and ugly, the worst water Joe’s seen this year, and seas were very rough, but somewhat calmer than forecast. Ten or so boats fished there, allowing enough room to fish. The winning fish in the tournament weighed more than 170 pounds. A bit of yellowfin action took place farther offshore at Baltimore Canyon, and quite a few mahi mahi were landed offshore. Joe was tied up with preparation for the event and maintenance afterward in the past days, but previously his back-bay charters for striped bass were good. His charters these days are fighting the schoolies mostly on popper lures and flies but also on sub-surface lures and flies. Most of the fish are undersized, but it’s a blast, and summer is especially the time to popper fish, seeing every hit on the surface, and that’s one of Joe’s specialties.  Bluefish should still be roaming the bay, and the bay’s flounder fishing was slow.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Boaters were grabbing flounder and all the small blues they could want off Cape May Point, and flounder were also coming from the Old Grounds, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in Wildwood. Flatties were also pulled from the back bay, where the bite was best when boat traffic was light. Bob Ward nailed a 5-pound 6-ounce flounder while fishing from his dock along Richardson’s Channel. Ed Rust from the Captain Flatty checked in an 8-pound 4-ounce flatback, and Jim Force checked in a 7.4-pounder that hit a Berkley Gulp shrimp. Good bluefin tuna fishing was going down around the Elephant Trunk at the 30-fathom line while boaters trolled, butterfly jigged or chunked with butterfish. Gene Cuneo of Atco tackled a 107-pound bluefin that he boated on the Big Bully from Wildwood. Yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi were taken between the Wilmington and Baltimore canyons.  

<b>Avalon</b>

Rough weather put a damper on tuna fishing over the weekend, and <b>Over Under Adventures</b>’ fleet from Avalon and from Ocean City, Md., was forced to cancel eight charters, an e-mail from Over Under said. But the boats sailed on 11 tuna charters previously during the week, and there were mixed results early in the week, but bluefin tuna chunking produced if boats arrived early enough, and some nice yellowfin tuna to 60 pounds were found at 40 fathoms around Baltimore Canyon. The bluefins, usually 50- to 80-pounders, bit on the chunk from 4:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., and the boats were leaving as early as 1 to 2 a.m. to fish some locations. Trolling for bluefins improved and was best in the afternoons later in the week, and a 144-pound bluefin was the fleet’s largest of the week and was taken at the Hambone on Thursday. A catch of 10 bluefins to 118 pounds on one of the boats was another highlight. Other good spots for the bluefins this past week included Massey’s Canyon, the Chicken Bone and the Sausages. 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>

Bob Harmon’s party jumped aboard the <b>Sea Fox</b> yesterday and hooked weakfish, blues and flounder from Delaware Bay to the ocean near Cape May Point, but it was tough fishing, and seas were rough, Capt. Gary said. The weaks were small and were found in the ocean off the point. A big temperature difference of 62 degrees in the ocean and 77 in the bay was seen. Seas laid down in the afternoon, but the trip was already finished. Charters were cancelled today and tomorrow because of weather forecast. Charters on the Sea Fox are available for flounder, and so are trolling trips in the inshore ocean for blues, bonito, Spanish mackerel and such fish. Gary also heard about king mackerel battled on the troll at the 20-fathom lumps. Tuna charters are also running, and tuna fishing is happening, and Gary saw bluefin tuna at the docks this weekend that were caught at the inshore lumps.

A charter bottom fished on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> on Saturday and scored alright, bagging six keepers to 5 pounds, landing probably 20 or 25 throwbacks and catching lots of bluefish in Delaware Bay along the shipping channel in 35 feet, Capt. George. It wasn’t a bad catch for the bay, and George was surprised, and the trip was forced to fish the bay instead of the ocean because of winds that kicked up seas. Seas were rough until calming down in the afternoon. A good seven or eight of the throwback flounder would’ve been keepers with last year’s size limit, and the blues were 1 or 2 pounds. Chris Williams, Dave Mallon, Steve Shibato, Ed Cook, and Sean Timpy were the anglers on the trip. A tuna trip was cancelled Sunday because of strong winds, but bluefin tuna fishing’s been good. The Heavy Hitter is open for charters for flounder, bluefish trolling and tuna fishing.

<b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> took a few inshore trolling trips in the past days when winds blew calmly enough, and the anglers loaded up on bluefish, some Spanish mackerel and even a few bluefin tuna, Capt. Mike said. The trips trolled within 25 miles of Cape May, and there was lots of action before the weekend’s blow, and anglers will see what happens afterward, but Mike hoped the fishing would become even better. The bluefins were barely legal-sized and up to 35 inches, and some were throwbacks. Charters also flounder fished, mostly in southern Delaware Bay, such as around Brandywine and along the channels, and catches were hit or miss, some days excellent, other days not as good. Flounder fishing wasn’t as good at the ocean reefs, and Copacetic tried the reefs a couple of times. Spike weakfish to 13 and 14 inches were starting to be pulled from around the southern bay, and none of any size bit, but it was lots of action. A couple of tuna charters are coming up on the boat, and 50- to 100-pound bluefin tuna were tearing up waters at the 20-fathom lumps 50 miles south of Cape May.

Flounder fishing improved, and flatties to 6 pounds were boated, a fax from the <b>Miss Chris</b> said. Pete Plousis nailed seven flounder to 5.8 pounds, and Tom Hench took six to 6.1 pounds, and Jen and Jocelyn Hampton combined for a 6.5-pounder and a 6.8-pounder. Night trips were very good for loads of croakers. Patrons on the <b>Lady Chris</b> put together mixed bags of flounder, croakers and small blues on the boat’s 4-hour trips.

Reef Site 11’s and the Old Grounds’ flounder fishing was holding up, and although the fish were decent-sized, not too many huge ones were boated, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Most were 18 to 23 inches, and flounder were also coming up from the Cape May Rips on outgoing tides and also from Brandywine Shoal and the 9 and 10 buoys in Delaware Bay. At the Rips, Peter Kramer, 9, scored a 4.32-pound flounder, and Gene Hannigan took a 5.2-pounder. John Stuckert III, 8, caught a 4.31-pound flounder. Inshore tuna reports were good, and bluefins were hitting very well just northeast of the Cigar in the early mornings on the troll. Good-sized ones were being trolled, chunked and jigged at 19-Fathom Lump. The best trolling rig was an Islander over a medium or large ballyhoo fished 100 yards or farther back. Early last week 150- to 180-pound bluefins bit at the Hambone. Massey’s Canyon and the Hot Dog also held bluefins. Brian Kurtz, 14, trolled a 135-1/4-pound bluefin at the 19 Lump. Canyon tuna reports were scarce because of the weather. But a few reports were heard about tuna found inside Wilmington Canyon along the 40- and 50-fathom lines. Bob Coppock on the Blue Sky fought to the boat two yellowfins abut 50 pounds apiece and an 8.77-pound barracuda. Surf fishing was spotty, and mostly croakers, a few weakfish and flounder were beached at Cape May Point and Higbee’s Beach. Bluefish 1 to 2 pounds and sawbelly herring moved in and out along the point jetties throughout the day and smacked small lures and bait high in the water column.

Flounder fishing improved, and more and more keepers were being boated all the time, and the flatties could be found off Cape May Point and at Brown Shoal, Reef 11 and the Old Grounds, said Capt. Fred from <b>Harbor View Marina</b> in a fax. Small bluefish swam Cape May Inlet and South Shoal, and croaker fishing was strong at Slaughter Beach, and the hardheads were also showing up at Brandywine.

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