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<b>Brooklyn</b>

An open-boat trip with three anglers on the <b>Big M Express</b>  produced seven keeper fluke, a bunch of fluke a half-inch to 1 ½  inches short and sea bass on Tuesday, the report on the boat’s web site said. One of the anglers limited out on fluke and bagged a few sea bass, and there was no drift, but it didn’t seem to matter, and the fishing was a steady pick. “The weather was perfect, and the crew was great,” the report said. “What else could you ask for except a reasonable size limit?” On Monday morning an open-boat fluke trip was tough. A few shorts were picked at the Tin Can Grounds, and then one keeper, a few shorts and seven nice sea bass were taken at the eastern reef. On the way home the anglers picked away at shorts at the Tin Can on a few drifts. The day was tough, and “that’s the way the sinker bounces,” the report said. On Sunday morning a charter of novice anglers headed out for sea bass and put 30 lumpheads to 3 pounds in the box in 3 hours, until the group called it a day because seas were making them feel a little green under the gills. Not a bad catch for novice anglers, the site said. Open-boat trips are sailing every day when no charter is booked.

<b>Staten Island</b>

Two anglers took their second charter in two weeks on the <b>Barbara Anne</b> on Tuesday and boated a good catch of sea bass to 4 ¼ pounds and some nice-sized ling, and they released an out-of-season blackfish, Capt. Anthony said. Charters will continue targeting sea bass and will also chase fluke, and open-boat trips are sailing every Tuesday, guaranteed to leave the dock with at least two anglers. The open trips are targeting sea bass half the day and fluke the other half.

Fluking was good in the bay, and probably 1 in 5 was a keeper, and an 8-1/2-pounder was weighed in, said Sal from <b>Michael’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Killies, spearing and squid got the bites, and bluefish to 8 pounds, smaller ones than earlier in the season, were still sometimes boated in the bay. Kingfish were hitting along the jetties, a fishery that hadn’t appeared in quite some time. Clams and sandworms tricked the kings, and Staten Island surf fishers also pulled in fluke and blues. Offshore boaters scored plenty of mako sharks at places like the Mako Motel and the Monster Ledge, and waters near the BA buoy gave up brown sharks from 50 to 70 pounds. Tuna fishing hadn’t really taken hold yet, and there were rumors of a few tuna, but no solid fishery.

<b>Keyport</b>

Dan Fornel and two friends fished the bay with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> and grabbed two keeper fluke, many shorts and two blues yesterday on a 5-hour trip, Capt. Joe said. They fished the Staten Island side of the bay for a couple of hours and then moved to the bay off Keansburg. Winds kicked up a little, and skies were somewhat overcast, and boat traffic was surprisingly light, considering it was the Fourth of July.  Open-boat trips are sailing 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. every day when no charter is booked, and open trips are running 7 a.m. to 12 noon every Wednesday, and call to reserve the open trips and for prices.

Tack Hoi Wong, wife Cherrie and children Kevin and Kelly sailed on the <b>Lucky Carm</b> yesterday for a catch of 15 keeper fluke to 6 pounds and a few cocktail blues at the 1 can off Keyport, so the fishing was pretty good, Capt. Carmine said. Spearing with squid seemed best, and not that many fish hit killies with squid. On Tuesday a group of teachers from J.P. Stevens High School in Edison were aboard and took fluke to 3 ½ pounds and a few blues near the pound nets at Keansburg, and they didn’t limit out, but they caught some nice fish. Some prime dates remain in July for charters, and fluking now seems best, and that means trips don’t have to run far, because the fluke are nearby in the bay. The fluking takes patience, but flatties are being bagged. 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.
 
Anthony Sirc, 7, fluke fished with his family on the Atlantic Star last week and caught his first-ever fluke, a 3-pounder, said Chris from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. The family bagged about seven keepers, and on the same trip Matthew Borkoski, 7, fished with his dad and landed his first-ever fish, a dogfish. Stephen McPeak won the pool on that trip with a 9.1-pound flattie that was boated on the first drift. Many more fluke were landed afterward, and some weighed 6 and 7 pounds. The whole crew from Crabby’s fished on the boat last Friday, and all caught something, and they left with a few flatties in the cooler. Bruce Mesmer fished for fluke around the TC buoy in the bay and limited out on the fish to 8 pounds on combos of squid, killies and spearing. John Chan fished the TC and checked in an 11-pound 12-ounce doormat that bit a strip bait, and Joe Fishler nailed a 12-pound 4-ounce fluke on a homemade jig. The shop’s crabbing contest started July 1, and call the store or stop by for more info.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

After good fluking in the ocean on a charter Monday on the <b>Fishermen</b>, the fishing was tougher Tuesday on an open-boat trip, Capt. Ron said in his fishing report on the vessel’s web site. That trip started fishing in the channels, looking to catch some bigger flatties. Both the deep and the edges were tried, and a couple of fish were landed. The boat moved, and the fishing remained slow all day. But Wednesday’s fishing was much better, and two patrons limited out, and an 8.4-pound fluke was landed that was the biggest of the season so far on the boat. Several fish weighed 3 to 8 pounds, and there was plenty of action. The boat is fishing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, usually in the ocean. Afternoon bluefishing trips are running 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

When conditions or winds, currents and tides created the right drifts, fluke were hooked on the <b>Atlantic Star</b> in the bay, and that’s the way it’s been a while, Capt. Tom said. For example, on yesterday afternoon’s trip, the first couple of drifts were decent, and fluke were boated, and then winds picked up, and the fishing slowed. But later the winds tapered off somewhat, and fluke started to be caught again. No exceptional sizes of flatties were hooked in the past days, and pool winners were usually 4 or 5 pounds, although those aren’t bad-sized fluke. But Steve McPeak nailed a 7-pounder yesterday afternoon, and he drilled a 9-pounder the previous week. Pillsang Yu yesterday afternoon took a 6-pounder. The boat through the week fished various spots including Reach Channel, Chapel Hill Channel, off the Navy Pier and off Sandy Hook Point. 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.

Dennis Higgins weighed in a 14.86-pound, 33-inch fluke that she walloped at the TC buoy in the bay, said Margaret from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Fluking along the ocean beaches was good at places like off the Red Church and along Sandy Hook. Anglers reported finding some bluefish along the beaches over the weekend, and surf fishing was good for fluke and blues, and no surf casters seemed to land stripers except shorts. No reports rolled in about weakfish yet, and crabbing was pretty decent.

<b>Highlands</b>

Fluking was good again through the week for <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b>, and the keeper ratio improved as the week progressed, although the fishing was tough on some days because of conditions, Capt. Bob said in an e-mail. Trips on the boat were fishing the bay and the ocean south to Elberon with good results. A crew from Goldman Sachs was aboard Monday and scored fluke to 19 ½ inches, and putting together a catch was tough because of the half-day trip, but everybody managed to go home with fish The following day was a complete turnaround for a charter from Bucks County, because all anglers onboard limited out, and a 26-incher was the biggest. The flatties on the trips were taking killies with squid, 3-inch rubber shads and spearing with squid. Some open dates remain during the last two weeks of July, and several are available in August.

John Leeson and crew from Lancaster boated 20 striped bass, including a few weighing in the mid 30s, with <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> in only 3 hours at the Shrewsbury Rocks on Monday evening on chunked and live bunker, Capt. Brian said. A few bluefish were mixed in, and dates are still available for shark charters, and sharking is good and doesn’t last too much longer in summer. A shark trip Sunday battled a 150-pound mako, a blue shark and a couple of bluefish at the Monster Ledge. Tuna charters will begin soon.

<b>Fisher Price Charters</b> continued striped bass fishing in the ocean from off the Highlands Bridge to the Shrewsbury Rocks, and on one day the fish would bite, and on another they wouldn’t, Capt. Derek said. But when they did, the fishing was usually good for stripers 20 pounds and larger, and he heard that bass were schooling farther south off Manasquan to Mantoloking, and those fish should push north in maybe a week, so he’ll stick with striper fishing. His charters were also mixing up the fishing with some fluking along the ocean beaches, and probably 1 in 5 of the flatties was a keeper. The water was 66 to 69 degrees.

<b>Long Branch</b>

Surf fishing produced lots of blues, and surf casting for stripers was hit or miss, said John from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b>. But Kenny Walham pulled a 12-pound striper from the Long Branch suds on clams, and Guy Smith tricked an 11-pound weakfish in the Long Branch surf on a plug. Jack Kinsey fished the Monmouth Beach surf and drilled a 42-pound 4-ounce striper, and George Larson also hit Monmouth Beach for a 22-pound 12-ounce linesider. Ocean fluking seemed to be picking up a little.

<b>Neptune</b>

Anglers with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> were knocking the heck out of striped bass on bunker in the ocean, but trips had to fish either every early in the morning or late in the evening, and morning was probably better, Capt. Ralph said. Trips had to leave when he wanted to leave, and fluking has been fantastic on the boat. His customers weren’t landing a load of huge ones, but they were getting lots of keepers from 19 to 23 inches. The problem with the huge ones was that they held among the rocks and snags and hit bucktails, and anglers had to be experienced to fish there without getting hung up all the time, so the trips fished elsewhere. No trips were targeting sea bass recently, but sea bass were a by-catch on the fluke trips. Individual-reservation fluke trips are taking place every Wednesday, and one is slated for Monday, August 13, and openings are available for all the trips. Three of four shark trips have tackled mako sharks with Last Lady so far this season, so sharking was good, and another shark charter sails tomorrow. Ralph has wanted to mix in inshore bluefin tuna trolling on the shark trips, but rough seas have prevented him, but maybe tomorrow’s trip will try. The tuna farther offshore that had been swimming Baltimore Canyon moved to Washington Canyon, and Ralph knew boaters who tried tuna fishing at Toms Canyon but failed, so the fish weren’t really holding at the northern canyons yet.

<b>Belmar</b>

The weekly, open-boat sharking trip was weathered out Wednesday on the <b>Nan Sea J</b>, Capt. Tom said. But it’ll continue next week, and a couple of openings are available then, and a few remain for the following week, and the trips sail every Wednesday through July. Nan Sea J is one of the few charters offering open-boat sharking, an awesome opportunity for those without enough anglers for a full charter. Sharking is Tom’s favorite fishing. Charters are also shark fishing, and charters are also targeting fluke, bluefish and stripers, and fishing for all, even stripers, is decent. Striper season is coming to a close, but the boat ran a striper trip in the past week that scored well.

Bunker swarmed all over the ocean, and striped bass were blitzing everywhere among them, and the bass were big, and it was crazy, said Mike from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Boaters nailed a few more than surf anglers did, because the fish were mostly a little off the beaches, but surf casters were also connecting. Fluke fishing was good in both the Shark River and in the ocean, and the keeper ratio seemed to be improving lately, and Mike was seeing good-sized flatties come in. Lots of sea robins had to be picked through in the river, but they could be used for bait. Peanut bunker and spearing were beginning to appear in the river, so they should bring bigger fish into the waters soon. No snapper blues were being seen in the river yet. In the ocean bluefishing was excellent on the party boats the past 1 ½ weeks, and he fished on the Ocean Explorer over the weekend, and blues were hooked as soon as the lines hit the water. Sea bass were boated in the ocean, but some of them were small, and sea bassing seemed nothing to write home about.

<b>Brielle</b>

Striper and bunker mayhem, said John from <b>Brielle Bait & Tackle</b>. Bunker appeared in the local ocean practically as far as anyone could see, and a bunch of 25- to 40-pound stripers were getting bagged underneath them from boats and the surf. He never saw so many bunker, and they were tightly packed, boiling in the water. The striper fishing would slow down after the sun rose too high, but it was great in the mornings since about Monday, probably from Seaside to Spring Lake. Anglers snagged the menhaden and livelined or chunked them for the bass, and so did beach anglers, but everything else, like clams, also worked. It was crazy, and he hoped it would last a while. Fluke fishing was fair in the ocean in 20 to 30 feet from Long Branch to Seaside, and one spot could light up more than another for a moment, but the fishing was decent. Manasquan River’s fluking was alright, and John’s sister’s kid tried the river an hour and took four keeper flatties near the hospital. Anglers could land a decent catch of keepers in the Manasquan if they put in the time. No snapper blues or such action was happening in the river yet. Sea bassing in the ocean was productive some days and slower on others, apparently when bottom water temps dropped. Bluefishing was pretty steady around the Mudhole, and the fish would hit at the Oil Wreck during daytime and north of there at night. Bait and jigs got the strikes during the day, and as always, bait was the deal at night.

Strong south winds hampered fluke fishing on a trip yesterday on the <b>Katie H</b> in the ocean, but 12 keepers were still bagged, and a mess of throwbacks bit, Capt. Mike said. The fish were found in 20 feet close to the beach off Spring Lake. The water was 64 to 65 degrees, so the southerly blow did drop the temp, and seas became kicked up and caused the trip to return early. Boaters clobbered stripers in the local ocean in the past days, and the anglers on the Katie H snagged bunker for baits among schools of the menhaden in the morning at first on the trip. They tried livelining the baits for stripers, but the striper fishing was mostly finished for the morning by that time, so they went back to the original plan of fluking.

On the <b>Reel-Ality</b> anglers fished Sea Girt Reef over the weekend and picked up a good catch of sea bass, and they also bagged their limit of one blackfish apiece that weighed 4 ½ to 5 pounds, and they also scored a couple of fluke, Capt. Larry said. On Sunday another trip started for Sea Girt Reef, but rough seas caused the anglers to turn back and fish along the ocean beaches, and some fluke and lots of skates were landed in 25 to 40 feet. Anglers onboard also fished Manasquan River this past week, reeling up lots of small fluke and a few keepers, and no other fish except a few sea robins bit. No weakfish seemed to be swimming the river yet, and Larry expects them to show up by the end of the month. The Reel-Ality will also sail for bluefin tuna in the inshore ocean if that action turns on. Larry knows an angler who fished the Monster Ledge and battled one small, keeper mako shark and a big, 12-foot blue shark, and bluefish were everywhere, and the friend said other boaters there were trolling for bluefin tuna, but he saw none of the tuna caught.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Fishing for monster striped bass among pods and pods of bunker hit the roof since Monday in the ocean from Spring Lake to Barnegat Inlet, said Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>. These were big bass, the schools everybody’s been waiting for, and a buddy nailed a 47-pounder yesterday, and Fred said Andrea’s Toy has a chance to break the 50-pound mark among these stripers. A sprinkling of thresher sharks were also among the bunker. A trip yesterday with Andrea’s Toy was supposed to be a fluke charter, but when all the bunker were seen, it quickly switched to a striper trip. Bunker were snagged for bait, and two stripers were hooked on the first drift, and one of them, a 33-pounder was landed, and the one that was lost was bigger. But seas were too rough for the charter, and they left for calmer conditions. Andrea’s Toy had been concentrating on ocean fluke fishing, and the catch was very good, but charters will now target these stripers, fish of a lifetime, Fred said. A shark rig will also be kept ready in case a monster is seen cruising the schools. Andrea’s Toy is also offering mid-shore, combo fishing for sharks and bluefin tuna at places like the Monster Ledge on both charters and open-boat trips. Charters and open-boat trips will eventually sail farther offshore to Hudson Canyon for combos of tuna, mahi mahi and tilefish when the canyon’s fishing heats up. So far, nobody’s been reporting many catches from the canyon, and Fred will wait until warm water pushes in and the bite takes off.

A charter of military veterans was looking to fluke fish with <b>Reel Class Charters</b> on Tuesday, and when the group broke Manasquan Inlet, bunker and striped bass were going haywire, Capt. Allen said. But the charter wanted to fluke fish, so the boat ran north, and fluking was good. Fourteen keepers were bagged, and nearly four times as many throwbacks were released, and a few sea bass were landed. Bucktails were hot, but spearing and squid on fluke rigs also did the trick. Allen heard that the striper fishing that day was awesome, and a 47-pounder was the biggest he heard was caught. On Wednesday two anglers joined Allen, leaving the dock at 5 a.m. to get on the stripers. Bunker were again schooling all over the ocean off Manasquan Inlet, but hundreds of boats were also there, a greater number than usual on a weekday because of the Fourth of July holiday. Allen’s anglers got into stripers about 45 minutes during the early morning, keeping a 20-pounder, and Allen thought a total of three were landed, if he remembered correctly. All the stripers among the bunker seemed mostly 20 pounds, and a 30-pounder was the biggest Allen heard was caught that day. The action lasted a half-hour or 45 minutes early in the morning before the sun rose too high and the action dropped off, and there was also too much boat traffic. But these are the stripers anglers were waiting for, and the bass were all quality fish, and none were small. The schools are a few weeks late, and they apparently arrived about Monday, and Allen hoped they’d stick around a moment. He’ll chase them while they’re here, but he’ll also continue fluke fishing, and sea bass are sometimes mixed in on the fluke trips. Both charters and open-boat trips sail for the fluke and sea bass, and most open-boat spots are full in the near future, but there is room this coming Wednesday on a Fluke Till Ya Puke Marathon open-boat trip. The marathons leave the dock 6:30 a.m. and last approximately 10 hours or till 3:30 or 4 p.m. or until the anglers had enough.

A charter of law enforcers fought blues and more blues to 15 pounds Monday on the <b>Defiant</b>, Capt. John said. The fish grabbed bunker chunks not too far from shore. Inshore charters on the boat are also targeting stripers and fluke, and a special, discounted rate is available this month on inshore charters for up to six passengers on 5-hour trips. Charters are also currently shark fishing, and shark season is definitely in full swing. John heard reports about yellowfin tuna boated far offshore, pushing 120 miles out, and if anyone wants to fish that far, the boat is available. The rate on offshore trips is based on trips 100 miles from shore, so if a charter sails farther, the extra fuel cost will be factored in. Still, here’s your opportunity to forget the wait and catch tuna now!

On the <b>Benchmark</b> a charter yesterday took a shot at swimming live bunker for striped bass and had a couple of run-offs, but there was no luck, and boat traffic was too intense, the fishing report on the boat’s web site said. So they ran to the fluke grounds and got into plenty of action with flatties to 20 inches. On Saturday a charter fished for blues and fluke and had to work to put together a catch of good-sized ones, and a charter the previous day scored nice fluke to 6 pounds in 25 to 30 feet. July is the month for fluke and blues, so hop aboard the Benchmark for a trip.

Fluking was very good at Manasquan Inlet near <b>Alex’s Bait & Tackle</b>, and 3- to 5-pound blues were also pushing through, especially toward dusk, Dave said. Not much was heard about weakfish in the area yet, but a few were landed. Striper fishing was excellent in the ocean for 20- to 35-pounders that chased bunker, and boaters did best, but surf anglers also caught plenty. Snagging and dropping bunker got most of the strikes, but bunker chunks and heads and also pencil poppers were also inhaled. Boaters were pulling up decent catches of fluke in fairly shallow water along the ocean beaches.

Fluke fishing definitely improved, and trips on the <b>Norma-K</b> were producing a number of very nice keepers and action with lots of throwbacks on both the morning and afternoon trips, the fishing report on the boat’s web site said. Bluefishing trips continued to be good with healthy-sized fish and lots of strong fights.

<b>Bricktown</b>

Fish were all over, said Bob from <b>Jersey Coast Bait-N-Tackle</b>, and ocean boaters and surf fishers weighed in nice stripers. The weigh-ins included a 39-pounder, a couple of 34-pounders and a 24-pounder. The bass were chomping down on bunker or snagged-and-dropped bunker, and fresh bunker is stocked. Fresh clams are also stocked, and more are carried on weekends. Boaters who fluke fished seemed to concentrate on the ocean off Brick and Mantoloking, but the general area from Point Pleasant to Lavallette gave up the fish. Weakfish were begging to be picked up in Barnegat Bay near the Mantoloking Bridge and Kettle Creek. Bay anglers were waiting for snapper blues to arrive.

<b>Toms River</b>

Bunker schooled the ocean, and they attracted striped bass, and boaters were nailing the linesiders, and sometimes surf casters hooked the bass, but the surf casting was hit or miss, depending on whether anglers lucked into fish that made forays into the suds, said Kevin from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Boaters were landing fluke in the ocean from Manasquan Inlet to Asbury Park. In Barnegat Bay fluke were found from the BI marker to the BB, and nothing much was being heard about weakfish in the bay. Crabbing was pretty good.

<b>Seaside</b>

Striped bass were sometimes still coming in, and one angler weighed in a 35-pounder taken near Manasquan Inlet, and another checked in a 32-pound 7-ouncer landed at Gillikins Beach at Island Beach State Park on a bunker chunk, the fishing report on <b>Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site said. One of the shop’s staff members boated three 20-pound stripers yesterday, and bunker were everywhere off Bay Head and Mantoloking. The weather was “goofy” today, and an angler at Area 14 at Island Beach called in and said he was holding bottom with 6 ounces and landed a couple of bluefish. The surf was 2 to 3 feet, 66 degrees and choppy but clean. 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>

Customers were hooking a few nice fluke in Barnegat Bay, and no word came in about weakfish in the bay, said Dick from <b>L&H Woods & Water</b>. A good number of crabs were supposedly being nabbed. Stripers and bunker were schooling the ocean around Manasquan Inlet a couple of days.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Fishing was tough this past week, and finicky bluefish, loads of hickory shad and small fluke were the main characters, said Capt. Steve from <b>Reel Fantasy Charters</b>. The fishing was mostly a struggle, except for the huge surge of hickory shad. The shad could be caught for excellent striper bait, but they were a little large, because clients who set up on stripers with the shad as bait were reeling back scaled shad to the boat. Rumors started trickling in about weakfish being found, and that boded well for the upcoming grass shrimping for weakies that Reel Fantasy will start doing in about a week.

A number of stripers, healthy-sized 18- or 20-pounders, came from the surf this past week, maybe because of colder water, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. Sharpies were dunking fresh bunker for the fish, and the bunker is stocked. A few 30-plus-pound stripers were boated in the ocean off Harvey Cedars. Fluke from 18 to 20 inches also hit in the suds in the afternoons, and try squid, Gulps or cut bait. Lots of fluke carpeted the bottom of Barnegat Bay at Double Creek Channel and Meyer’s Hole, and nice, 18-1/2-inchers were boated, and maybe 1 in 5 flatties was a keeper. The small, schoolie weakfish that bite in the bay in summer seemed to begin to show up, and Gulp shrimp in nuclear chicken will fool them. Someone checked in a silver pufferfish that came from the bay. Small blues swam Barnegat Inlet, and the Tires in the ocean sometimes gave up fluke, and sea bass also bit there.  A 43-pound bluefin tuna was weighed in that was landed at the Cigar, and the angler said he hooked 15, and they were everywhere and weighed in the 40-pound range. The Fingers was still giving up a variety of sharks.

<b>Brighton Beach</b>

Reports were heard a couple of days ago about big bunker pods with good-sized stripers underneath schooling the ocean near Barnegat Inlet, said Christian from <b>Oceanside Bait & Tackle</b>. Plenty of kingfish bit in the surf on bloodworms, Gulps or FishBites. Offshore fishing was heating up, and mako sharks were nailed at the Star, and yellowfin tuna were boated at Lindenkohl Canyon. Bluefin tuna fishing was picking up at Barnegat Ridge. Bloodworms, live spots, live eels, minnows, fresh clams, spearing, smelts, sand eels and squid are stocked, and so is a full supply of Gulps. Oceanside is a new shop that opened Memorial Day weekend at 8201 Long Beach Boulevard on the southern end of Long Beach Island. The owners of Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle own the store.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Fishing was a blowout recently from windy weather, but previously stripers were still sometimes boated in the ocean, even if maybe fewer were found than a week ago, said Russ from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Stripers can always be eeled through the season at the mouth of the Mullica River, where it dumps into the bay, and 2-pound blues sometimes show up there. The bay’s flounder fishing mostly produced shorts, but there was a shot of larger fish for two or three days about five days ago, when the ratio was 50/50. The ratio is now probably 1 keeper in 10 flatties. Nobody talked about landing any of the sharks that are usually battled at Grassy Channel in the bay at this time of year, and nobody seemed to be trying for them, and last year at this time the shop almost couldn’t tie shark rigs fast enough to keep them stocked. Russ didn’t doubt that shark anglers could score if they now hit the bay at night. The bay was holding none of the small species like kingfish, blowfish and small sea bass that are usually already being hooked by boaters who anchor and send out clam chum at this time of year. No weakfish were checked in, and nobody talked about landing weaks. Flounder were beginning to bite in the ocean, and not too much was heard about sea bass at the ocean reefs, maybe because of the seas. But a captain braved yesterday’s seas and bottom fished and bagged some sea bass.

<b>Absecon</b>

Ocean flounder fishing was pretty good, and Scott Newhall flounder fished at an ocean wreck and hauled up a 15-pounder, a 9-pounder and an 8-pounder, said Alex from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. A decent number of 5- to 10-pound flatties also came from the back bay, and live spots or Berkeley Gulps fooled the bay’s flounder. Weakfishing was beginning to improve in the bay and at the mouth of the Mullica River on shedder crabs or live spots, and stripers could be hooked at the bridges at night on eels or spots. Crabbing was lousy in the bay the past couple of weeks. Nothing much was heard about surf fishing, and bluefish swam the ocean, and sometimes they showed up in the bay. Bunker sometimes schooled the ocean. Live spots, live eels, shedder crabs and a large variety of other baits are stocked.

<b>Brigantine</b>

On the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> a charter tuna fished yesterday and trolled four bluefins from 30 to 35 pounds along the 20-fathom line, keeping one and releasing the rest, Capt. Tom said. The anglers only fished two hours before they had enough and decided to head back to port. Plastics including Green Machines scored the fish, and the tuna were piled up in those waters, so if anglers want to bend a rod with tuna without running far, go now, because the bite is on at the inshore grounds. Tom thinks it might only last another couple of weeks.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Plenty of flounder covered the bottom in the back bay and hit minnows, squid and Gulps, and weakfish were pinned down here and there in the bay on bucktails and Gulps, said Jack from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. Kingfishing was sporadic in the surf, but some were there. A few sea bass seemed to bite in the suds, and the water was warming and was approaching the low 70s. Herring and bunker sometimes schooled the ocean, and stripers, 30- to 45-pounders, still chased bunker farther north, like toward Long Beach Island.  The ocean wrecks held sea bass, and small, 2-pound bluefish swarmed the inshore lumps. Bluefin tuna were boated at the Cigar, and the <b>Carly A</b>, the shop’s offshore charter boat, fished on a charter at Spencer Canyon on Tuesday, and a few 40- to 60-pound bluefin tuna were hooked, and so were small, female mahi mahi. The boat’s big-game season is underway. The store is carrying tournament-quality offshore baits, including ballyhoo straight from Bait Master and butterfish from Sea Freeze. Both medium and horse ballys are stocked, and so are trolling squid and plenty of other offshore baits. Inshore baits include minnows, squid and a full supply of other offerings.

<b>Margate</b>

On the <b>Jessie O’</b> throwback and keeper flounder were boated at the ocean reefs Tuesday, and so were throwback and keeper sea bass to 2 ½ pounds, a couple of bonito, small bluefish and a small brown shark, Capt. Jay said. The bonito actually hit the fluke rigs, and the boat did no trolling for the fish. In the back bay flounder fishing was holding up on Jay’s other boat, the <b>Fish N’ Fun</b>. The bay boat is targeting the flounder on two 4-hour trips daily. The Jessie O’ sails on full-day open-boat trips in the ocean when no charter is booked, and plenty of dates are available for fishing charters or cruises on both boats for large groups. Discounted afternoon charters or cruises are also available on the Jessie O’.

<b>Longport</b>

A trolling trip at Sea Isle Ridge produced loads of snapper blues and some Spanish mackerel and bonito on the <b>Stray Cat</b> on Monday 17 or 18 miles from shore, Capt. Mike said. There was lots of action and tons of bait in the water. A bottom-fishing trip Tuesday scored sea bass, porgies—now that porgy fishing opened July 1—and triggerfish at 70-Foot Slough about 8 miles offshore. To catch the porgies and triggers, down-size your hooks and use small bits of squid. Sabiki rigs are too light, so instead tie up a rig with small, gold hooks on at least 15-pound line. Catching those fish is a ball on spinning tackle. An open-boat tuna trip is full this Sunday, but spots are available Sunday, July 22. It looks like open tuna trips will start running every Sunday for the rest of the summer, and some will take place Wednesdays when no charters are booked. The trips are limited to six passengers, run from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are trolling trips. Trolling is a better deal than chunking, because it opens up the possibilities of adding marlin and wahoo to the catch, and mahi mahi can be caught more frequently than while chunking. Limiting the trips to six passengers also helps increase the chances that everyone will go home with fish, because fewer anglers equals more time on the rod. Several 24-hour, open-boat tuna trips are on the books for September 7 and 22 and October 7, also limited to six passengers, and these trips will mix in deep-dropping for tilefish. Call to reserve the open trips.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Back bay fishing wasn’t good, and lots of short flounder but no keepers were there, but offshore fishing was very good, said Dan from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. A few weakfish could be landed in the bay near the Parkway Bridge on pink Fin-S Fish, squid, clams or shedder crabs. Offshore boaters found bluefin tuna at the Cigar and 28-Mile Wreck, and sometimes makos were fought in those waters, and so were bluefish. The ocean wrecks held plenty of decent flounder, and sea bass also hit there. Nothing much was beached in the surf, and a limited number of stripers and blues were taken there, but they were small, and nobody really reported getting into good kingfishing in the wash.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Pete Lee took a nighttime striper trip in the bay from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Tuesday with Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>, Joe said. And the fishing was great, and a dozen stripers were fly rodded under the lights at the docks and along the bridges and such. Clouser flies did the trick on sinking lines on 6- and 7-weight rods, great sport. Two or three small bluefish and a couple of herring, hard-fighting, scrappy fish, were also landed. A variety of Clousers worked, including chartreuse with white, all-white and electric chicken. This was Joe’s first serious night trip for stripers this season, and the fishing does turn into a night bite eventually, as waters warm, though it’s not strictly a nighttime fishery yet. The night fishing is a matter of putting the fly in the right spot. It’s mostly sight fishing, and the fly needs to be dropped into the strike zone to elicit a bite, and that’s basically up-tide of the light, and the fly has to start being retrieved as soon as it hits the water, or the fish will turn down the offering. The tide was high during the trip, but that didn’t really matter, and the fish were active, Joe said. His charters were also fishing for stripers during the day in the bay, especially with popper lures and flies, great fun, the time of year to do it, and one of Joe’s specialties. John and Ralph Pastor were aboard yesterday morning for a popper trip with spinning rods and scored six or seven stripers, a good catch. The stripers are now holding in no great concentrations, and usually one or two can be hooked at a spot, but all of Joe’s spots were producing. The fishing is spot-specific, and anglers have to know where to look, and Joe knows. He catches them during the day on the flats in 2 or 3 feet, poling his flats boat on the bay. The stripers are schoolies from 20 to 25 inches, a catch-and-release fishery, but with lots of action, a lot of fun. On Monday during the day Joe fished with Dusty Laricks, and three or four stripers were landed on poppers on spinning rods around high tide in the bay. High tides were during mid day this week, not the best conditions, and high tides in the mornings and toward dusk or low-light hours are ideal, and those conditions take place next week, and the fishing should especially turn on. Joe also took an exploratory trip to look for bluefin tuna at the Cigar in the inshore ocean on Tuesday morning, and the point was to scope out the possibilities of catching the bluefins on flies, and he liked what he saw. He hooked a few small bluefins, about 25-inchers, on the troll, and so did others, and most larger ones or keepers were caught right at daybreak, so it did seem to be an early morning fishery. A 45-inch tuna was the biggest that Joe heard was caught that day. Mahi mahi from10 to 15 pounds, good sized ones for inshore, were mixed with the bluefins. When Joe fly rods for the bluefins, including on charters, he chums with live bait. He also saw a number of mako sharks landed that day at the Cigar, and anglers will often target bluefins in the morning and then set up for sharking the rest of the trip, a nice way to spend the day. During some years the bluefins are closer to shore, but this year is more “normal.” Joe plans to sail offshore for tuna this weekend, and yellowfin tuna were biting there, and so were 10- to 15-pound mahi, and his offshore trips in the past weeks were productive.

<b>Avalon</b>

<b>Over Under Adventures</b>’s boat the Low Profile is gearing up to fish for big game offshore from Avalon for the summer and fall after fishing in the Bahamas since winter. But several boats from Over Under’s fleet are already fishing offshore from Ocean City, Md. Over Under’s web site said that the boats averaged 13 tuna per trip on four outings last week before the weekend, and the fishing slowed down a lot by the weekend, like it also did the previous week. During the weekend three of the vessels totaled 11 yellowfin tuna, and the best catch was five nice-sized yellowfins that weighed a total of 268 pounds. Some mahi were also caught on the vessels, and the fish over the weekend were landed from the Poorman’s Canyon to waters south of there in 40 to 70 fathoms. Two of the boats fished yesterday, and one went 7 for 11 on bluefin tuna to 65 pounds or 52 inches, keeping the legal limit and releasing the rest, and the fish bit both ballyhoos and spreader bars. The other boat went 8 for 9 on yellowfins  from 35 to 45 pounds and a mahi mahi. The fish on both trips were caught well inside the canyons, instead of offshore of the canyons, so that was good news. 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>

Back-bay flounder fishing was producing, and maybe the keeper ratio wasn’t great, but lots of the fish hugged the bottom, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Areas behind Wildwood and near the bridges were active, and many of the flatties seemed an inch-and-a-half short. The reefs like Cape May Reef and Reef Site 11 were giving up good catches of the flatfish for boaters, and some boaters were heading to the Old Grounds and maybe picking up four here or four there, not bad fishing. In Delaware Bay flounder fishing was best on the northern end toward Fortescue, like at Flat Top and the oyster grounds. Brown Shoal in the southern bay held a few, but not as many as the northern bay. Cape May surf fishing was still decent, and stripers there weren’t biting as much during the day anymore, unless the day was cloudy or cool, but early mornings and nighttimes saw action. Clams and bloodworms attracted bites, and those were probably the favorite baits, but stripers will gulp down lots of baits, such as squid or shedder crabs. Weakfish could still be found in the suds at Cape May Point on bloodworms or shedder crabs, and a few croakers were starting to show up for Delaware Bay surf anglers or boaters. Offshore tuna fishing seemed to slow down a little, and the fish probably spread out somewhat, but they should gather again when warm eddies form and draw them to specific spots.

Capt. Gary from the <b>Sea Fox</b> took a fun trip Tuesday with his wife for a catch of flounder to 20 inches and loads of 1-pound blues off Cape May Point, he said. All the bluefish anyone could want were hitting, and anglers could limit out on them. Squid and minnows were the baits, and the water was 70 degrees, and no croakers were landed. Charters are sailing for flounder and blues, and tuna trips are also on tap. Reports were being heard about tuna boated, and a couple of large bluefins were reportedly brought to port this week. Tuna fishing at the inshore lumps should take off any day. The Sea Fox will compete in a couple of tournaments soon: the Duke of Fluke Tournament at Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle in Wildwood, a well-known flounder tournament that the Sea Fox has placed in during past years, and the Viking/Ocean Shootout offshore fishing tournament.

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> was weathered out from strong winds and rainstorms, but charters are available for trolling for bluefish in the ocean, bottom fishing for flounder and sea bass at the reefs and tuna fishing at the inshore lumps and offshore canyons, Capt. George said. A friend hooked bluefin tuna at the inshore spots yesterday, and the friend’s friend got there earlier in the morning and landed more, five or six. Only one of the schoolie-sized fish could be kept, but it was action.

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