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<b>Staten Island</b>

All four anglers from the Horst charter limited out on fluke on the <b>Barbara Anne</b> in the ocean Tuesday, Capt. Anthony said. Two of the fish weighed 6 pounds, and one was 5 pounds, and the rest ranged 2 to 3 pounds, and fluking’s been very good on the boat. Anglers Serge and Alex took a three-peat trip for sea bass on the boat last week on Tuesday, and both limited out. The humpheads weighed up to 4.31 pounds, and few throwbacks bit. One space is available on an open-boat fluke trip tomorrow, and open trips are also sailing every Tuesday when no charter is booked, guaranteed to leave the dock with at least two anglers. The Barbara Anne will continue to sail for fluke and sea bass while the fishing’s good, and trips will go after weakfish if weaks arrive. Blackfishing will begin when New York’s tog season opens in October.

Lots of fluke were getting boated with <b>Frenzy Fishing Charters</b>, and the last charter bagged seven keepers, Capt. Tommy Verderosa said. That means each at least made the 19-1/2-inch New York size limit, and a few were 6 to 7 pounds, big fish. Frenzy was usually hitting the deeper water at the channels, but a trip the other day found flatties in only 30 feet, and more of the fish were landed than many other boaters were finding at the channels. Spinners were getting the bites lately on Tommy’s charters, and often the anglers are beginners, so the spinners seemed to provide action to attract fluke. Tommy was netting peanut bunker for bait, and sometimes no peanuts could be seen, but he was letting the castnet sink and coming up with the bait fish. Great Kills Harbor was still loaded with adult bunker, and many of the menhaden were dying, maybe because of lack of oxygen in the summer. Besides fluke trips, Frenzy is available for saltwater fly-rodding charters. A bunch of cocktail blues were fly rodded on the boat the other day and were also fought on light tackle with soft plastic lures. Tommy can always find short striped bass to fly rod during summer, and he also knows places where his charters can pick up fluke on fly tackle. He did no fishing yet for weakfish, but weaks will also jump on flies, and friends got into big weaks along southern Staten Island. He’ll probably start looking for weakfish soon. Even if charters want to learn how to begin fly fishing the salt, Tommy can show how. He’ll also chase false albacore on fly rods when the speedsters show up in fall. He’s a fly tyer and a custom rod builder.

Plenty of fluke, including lots of 5- to 7-pounders, were bagged, and bluefish of mixed sizes were everywhere, hitting jigs and bunker, said Sal from <b>Michael’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Sometimes bigger blues stormed the beaches in the early mornings and in the evenings, and schoolie blues ran up and down the beaches all day long under working birds. A few small striped bass were sometimes picked up along the beaches in the Tottenville area and at the New Dorp. Weakfish from 3 to 5 pounds were hooked at Reach Channel, and fly rodders found action with bonito and false albacore at Breezy Point in the early mornings. Porgies were beginning to cover the rock piles in decent numbers. Small bluefin tuna hit at the HA buoy on trolled ballyhoos, small plastics and feathers. Sal took a trip to Hudson Canyon last week that trolled nine longfin tuna, a white marlin and some mahi mahi and also pulled up tilefish from the bottom. Crabbing on Staten Island was excellent, top shelf.

<b>Bayonne</b>

A charter fluke fished Ambrose Channel on Sunday morning along buoys 8, 10 and 12 and bagged four, said Capt. Akira from <b>True World Tackle</b> and <b>True World Tackle Charters</b>. Loads of boats fished there, especially at the 10, and next the charter traveled to the Shrewsbury Rocks and drilled five keeper fluke and 12 keeper sea bass. The rocks are a long run from Bayonne, but Akira’s charters in the past landed fluke there, and the catch turned out well this time, and he wasn’t expecting sea bass but got into a good number. Not many customers from the shop fished the rest of the days of the week, but those who did seemed to fluke fish at Ambrose, Sandy Hook and Chapel Hill channels. Rumors said weakfish swam Reach Channel, but Akira wondered whether it was true. When weakfising heats up, his charters will fish for them.

<b>Laurence Harbor</b>

Larger fluke than before were definitely being found in the bay with <b>Evening Tide Charters</b>, and live peanut bunker for bait was no doubt making a difference, Capt. Kyle said. Plenty of peanuts were available to castnet, and Evening Tide’s anglers will also swim the baby menhaden for weakfish, when weakfishing picks up in the bay. If no peanuts are available, worms and jigs will be tossed. Kyle continues to keep an eye out for weakfish, and few seemed to be around so far, but he’s looking forward to their arrival, and loves targeting them. His charters usually dunk baits for weaks in the mornings and then switch to fluking, because weaks can be finicky and shut down when boat traffic begins. But for now fluke are the focus on charters, and 6-hour open-boat trips are beginning to sail every Saturday and Sunday. Kyle’s been impressed with the numbers of peanut bunker and adult bunker this season, and the adults seemed abundant on the entire eastern seaboard. The important forage fish can bode well for many types of fishing, including giant bluefin tuna fishing off Jersey in the fall. Kyle runs a private, offshore boat that will usually hunt the giants. 

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

On the <b>CRT II</b> nice sea bass and a few fluke were picked in the ocean off Sandy Hook on a short trip with Jim Barwick’s group yesterday, Capt Mick said. The catch was no great shakes, but they enjoyed themselves, he said. That particular trip caught more of the humpheads than the fluke, but fluke are out there.

Fluke fishing seemed to pick up again during the past couple of days, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Weakfish held bottom at certain places in the bay, and Jimmy wormed a very good catch of weaks in the river yesterday. Small blues traveled the bay, and anglers hooked lots yesterday. Andrew Tesori, 13, threw a Bomber plug at Fisherman’s Beach to land three blues from 6 to 9 pounds. Striped bass were still bunker chunked in the ocean at the rocks off Sea Bright, and sea bass and porgies also gathered along the rocks. So fishing looked promising for the weekend, and the weather should be great.

Good conditions, or winds and tides that created good drifts, and good fluking was the story on the <b>Fishermen</b> during the past days, Capt. Ron said. Plenty of 2- to 4-pounders were bagged along the deep water in the channels. On yesterday’s trip a breeze and outgoing tide pushed the boat on a solid drift, and patrons had to drop down 8 to 10 ounces of weight to hold bottom, but a few who worked hard limited out, and nice flatties were landed, though only a 3-1/2-pounder was the pool winner. When the tide changed the drift speeded up, and 14 ounces couldn’t even hold bottom, so the boat moved, and some fish were found. Trips each week are also bluefishing on some afternoons, and lots of blues were fought to the boat this past weekend. No striped bass showed up, but previously stripers sometimes turned up on the bluefish outings. The Fishermen is fishing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, usually in the ocean, but charters are booked this coming Monday and Tuesday and next week on Friday and Saturday, and none of the open-boat trips will take place those mornings. Afternoon bluefishing trips are running 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Fluking was pretty decent in the bay the past three days on the <b>Atlantic Star</b> when the drift was right, Capt. Tom said. On Monday both trips produced a nice pick, with lots of action from shorts and some keepers, a big improvement compared to the weekend. Tuesday morning’s trip started fishing the same area, but the fish refused to bite, so the boat moved to Ambrose Channel, where the catch was pretty good. Mixed sizes of shorts and keepers were pulled, and the afternoon trip headed to the bay, because the current was too strong at Ambrose. Ann Kastor nailed a 9-3/4-pound whopper that was the highlight of the week, and then the vessel returned to Ambrose. Conditions were tough but fishable, but shipping traffic was heavy, forcing the Atlantic Star to keep moving out of the way. Fluke were bagged, but more probably would’ve been landed if the boat could’ve stayed put. On Wednesday morning fluke were caught in the bay in good conditions, and a move to Ambrose met tougher conditions, but additional fish were boated, though fewer bit on that trip than on the previous day. Wednesday afternoon was probably one of the better trips recently, and lots of shorts gave up action, but the number of keepers was better than in a while. The funny thing was that the boat fished the same place as on the previous day where nothing hit, and that’s been typical. Fluke seemed to be filling the bay, but they only hit when they felt like feeding. Patrons for example often asked if the boat was going to fish Ambrose Channel, because they apparently heard that Ambrose was a hot spot, but Ambrose’s deep, 65- and 70-foot depths are a difficult place to fish when the current is strong, and even 10 or 12 ounces of weight can fail to hold bottom. So the fishing improved, but conditions were still a factor, and loads of shorts grabbed baits in the past days, providing good action, and keepers were mixed in. The 17-inch size limit was making bagging a keeper tough, and some patrons scored three or four keepers, but everybody fought and released shorts. No weakfish were hooked on the boat since two were reeled in during the weekend, and the Atlantic Star should continue to fluke fish until the season closes after September 10, and afterward trips will probably run for weakies if the trout show up this season. 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.

<b>Highlands</b>

Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> and friends Steve Foster and Mike Tuscano took a trip to Ambrose Channel and landed 10 keeper fluke to 5 pounds, including on peanut bunker, in 2 ½ hours, so it was good fishing, Brian said. Bluefishing and sea bassing was also good lately, and Brian fished Hydrographers Canyon 1 ½ weeks ago on the 68-foot Shark Byte. The crew trolled 23 yellowfin tuna to 60 or 70 pounds and three longfin tuna over two days, and they landed a swordfish on the nighttime chunk, and the round trip was 237 miles from Rumson. Jersey Devil is now available for inshore and offshore tuna charters. Brian was hearing about bluefin tuna swimming inshore waters, such as from the Monster Ledge to the Glory Hole. Hudson Canyon’s tuna fishing was spotty, and the fish bit on some days and then would turn off for a couple of days, and so on.

<b>Fisher Price Charters</b> got into very good fluking at the channels when there was a drift, including nailing 6- to 10-pounders, and larger fish than before showed up recently, Capt. Derek said. Anglers onboard fished squid, smelts and bucktails, and a few weakfish were found on a trip yesterday evening at Reach Channel, but the fishing was tough with winds against the tide. Lots of fish were read on the fish finder, and Fisher Price was also still finding weakfish in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers, but the trout only chewed when there was a drift and the right conditions. Thunderstorms seemed to turn off the bite yesterday morning. Sandworms and Gulp shrimp took the weaks both in the bay and in the rivers.

<b>Keyport</b>

Chris Buchta’s party on the <b>Lucky Carm</b> hooked scores of blues to 5 pounds, keeping two dozen, and fluke to 4 ½ pounds in the bay, Capt. Carmine said. The blues were jigged and were breaking water all over off Keyport. Chris’s girlfriend Angela and his children Christopher, 6, Giuseppe, 10, Toni Ann, 12 and Alyssa, 13, were aboard, and all the kids caught fish including fluke, so the trip was very good, Carmine said. Three charters will fish for fluke and blues this weekend, and when weakfish turn on this season, anglers on the boat will go after them. Carmine was seeing no weaks, and he was running the whole bay, and he would think that if weaks were around, he would’ve seen some. Juvenile weaks could be found with snapper blues, but that’s about all. The Lucky Carm was pulled from the water Monday to clean the bottom and replace all the zincs in preparation for bottom-fishing trips that will begin when fluke season ends after September 10. The bottom trips will target porgies, sea bass, cod and whatever’s biting. The boat is available for either charters or open-boat trips 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. this Friday and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday. Special, 4-hour, evening charters are always available 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and call Carmine for info. Morning charters are also always available, and charter times are flexible.

Lenny Glick’s group of six fished with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> and put together a nice pick of fluke to 5 pounds at Reach Channel on Monday on squid and killies, Capt. Joe said. On Tuesday Keith and Tammy Stephens and children Champagne, Cole and Tanner fished the TC buoy and the ocean off Sandy Hook for a good pick of keeper fluke and two 6- and 8-pound blues, bigger ones than usual in the bay. Dogfish, skates and sea robins also bit, and squid and killies were again the baits. Papa’s Angels is available for either open-boat trips or charters this Friday through Sunday. Open-boat trips are also taking place 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily when no charter is booked, and so is an open trip every Wednesday morning. Call to reserve and for info.

<b>Sea Bright</b>

<b>Two Rivers Charters</b> was reeling up lots of fluke to 6 pounds from the bay, and blues, sandsharks, skates and sea robins also swallowed baits, Capt. Fletcher Chayes said. A trip wormed for striped bass in the ocean at night and only picked a few, for whatever reasons. Lots of the fish were marked, and bunker, eels and worms swarmed around, so conditions seemed right. Fletcher also weakfished in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers and scored well, landing trout to 3 and 4 pounds on small jigs.

<b>Long Branch</b>

Snapper blues were in full force in the rivers, and anglers were saying weakfishing was producing in the rivers, mainly on sandworms, said John from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Some fluke could also be taken from the rivers, and crabbing there was great. Surf fishing was very slow, and the last weigh in was on July 14.
 
<b>Belmar</b>

Chumming for bluefish turned up good numbers of 4- to 12-pounders at the Mudhole on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> on a charter this week, Capt. Tom said. Another charter this week proved that striped bass fishing was still possible, catching four keepers to 17 pounds, three shorts and bluefish at the Shrewsbury Rocks on bunker chunks. The blues were somewhat smaller than on the trip at the Hole. A charter today will probably target fluke, and a fluke trip over the weekend nailed flatties to 8 pounds.  Fluke fishing by now had moved to deeper water in the ocean and no longer sailed closer to the beaches. Tuna charters will begin in September.

Moe from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> fluke fished Shark River 2 hours today and came up with five keepers 19 inches and larger, and shorts gave up lots of action, he said. He talked with other boaters who boxed three keepers, so the fluking seemed good. One of the shop’s rental boaters weighed in a 10-1/2-pounder from the river recently. Two of the Belmar party boats got into absolutely fantastic fluking in the ocean today with a good drift in northeast winds, despite a chop with white caps. They fished to the north at the rocks off Deal, Elberon and Long Branch. The party boats that were bluefishing have been getting on fine catches, and night trips were a little better. Two keeper stripers were also taken on one of the night blues trips. Some porgies held along Shark River Inlet, but only a few were keepers, and snapper blues ran thick in the river. No reports about surf fishing rolled in since last week, when striped bass were sometimes landed.

<b>Brielle</b>

A few weakfish were boated in the Metedeconk River on the <b>Reel-Ality</b> on Saturday, Capt. Larry said. The trout were 18- to 20-inch keepers, and Larry had begun looking around for the fish at the Mantoloking Bridge but saw birds working the river. Rat-L Traps were cast underneath and hooked the weaks and small blues. The boat returned Sunday, and no weakfish bit, but the anglers onboard limited out on small blues. Some of the bluefish bellies were cut into strips and used for fluke bait in the Manasquan River, and a ton of throwback flatties but no keepers turned up. Larry would’ve fished the ocean for fluke but some children were aboard, so he decided to stay in the river.  Anglers on the Reel-Ality usually start catching lots of weakfish in the Manasquan River area at this time of year until the first or second week of September, and the fish might be late this year. Charters on the boat also take the trip for bluefin tuna in the inshore ocean if the tuna show up in decent numbers, and Larry heard that schoolie bluefins and a few larger ones to 47 inches were caught at the Glory Hole. Sharks were also fought at those waters.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

A Manasquan River trip with three anglers produced five keeper fluke and many shorts yesterday with <b>Reel Class Charters</b>, Capt. Allen said in an e-mail. There was constant action all day. “Just wish there were more keepers like we had last week,” he said. Both tides gave up the bites, and combos of killies and Gulp chartreuse twisters were the baits. On Tuesday an open-boat Fluke Till You Puke Marathon sailed with four anglers in both deeper and shallower water in the ocean. The locations included 35 to 50 feet off Sea Girt and Spring Lake, where a mix of keepers and shorts bit. Fluking was a slow pick all over, but 10 keeper flatties, six sea bass and some nice fish were hooked. A 4-1/2-pound fluke was the biggest, and the fishing was okay, but a lack of drift and winds made things difficult. Reel Class will keep targeting these fish, including on the open-boat marathons, until September, when trips will start to switch to false albacore, bonito and weakfish until they can target the fall migration of stripers and bluefish.

Eric Brachman’s charter headed for fluke in the ocean Tuesday with <b>Angela Rose Charters</b>, Capt. Anthony said in an e-mail. They began fishing Sea Girt Reef, but the area proved slow. They moved inshore along the beach just north of Manasquan Inlet, and that turned out to be a good choice. Three keepers and more than 10 shorts were landed on the first drift, and a total of 11 keepers to 21 inches and a mess of shorts were reeled in by the end of the morning. A fair share of skates also bit, but battling through them was worth it. Squid and spearing dressed the hooks.

Windy weather kept canyon trips from sailing with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, but canyon tuna fishing was set to break wide open, and nighttime chunking was beginning to produce the fish in the past days, Capt. Fred said. A few of the tuna had already been biting on the troll. Andrea’s Toy runs to the canyons on both charters and open-boat trips, fishing for a mixed bag of species. On day trips anglers usually troll for tuna during the morning, switch later to deep-dropping for tilefish along the bottom, and then hit the lobster pots for mahi mahi on light tackle. On overnight outings the boat normally arrives at the canyons in the afternoon and begins trolling for tuna, sets up on the chunk overnight for tuna, swordfish and sharks, trolls again in the morning, and then bottom fishes for tiles, capping off the trip with mahi fishing on the way home. The trips sail on a 31-foot Contender that cruises 45 m.p.h., a fast speed that allows time to target the different species for greater fun and better chances at hooking up. Mid-shore charters and open trips fish places like the Glory Hole when bluefin tuna and mahi mahi are numerous enough, but that fishing was too sporadic now. Bluefins were around and definitely arrived from farther south, but finding them was difficult, and mahi were too scarce in mid-shore waters. However, mid-shore fishing might still take place when charters that are slated to hit the canyons are weathered out but still want to fish. For example, a charter tomorrow was supposed to fish the canyons, but the offshore forecast was looking questionable, and the anglers wanted to try mid-shore instead, if fishing the canyons was out of the question. Sharking is also an option on mid-shore trips. While the weather was too dicey for canyon runs, Andrea’s Toy fished on charters close to shore for plenty of fluke and sea bass. Keeper fluke were now holding along rough bottom in deeper water instead of close to the beaches like earlier in the season. Places including the Sea Girt Reef, Sandy Hook Reef and the Rattlesnake all attracted the fish.

More keeper fluke than before were pulled up from the wall at Manasquan Inlet across from <b>Alex’s Bait & Tackle</b>,  Dave said. Many anglers landed two to five shorts and a keeper or two, and experienced anglers of course caught more. A mess of snapper blues filled the inlet and held around the docks, and a decent number of weakfish were beginning to bite at night around the bridges and in the inlet on Fin-S Fish and Rat-L-Traps. Striped bass fishing was slow in the surf and everywhere, but blues and fluke came from the wash. Croakers, kingfish and porgies were beginning to appear, and sometimes false albacore and bonito mad runs at the beaches.

<b>Bricktown</b>

Decent catches of weakfish came from northern Barnegat Bay, the rivers and surrounding waters, mostly in the mornings and evenings, and a stray fluke was sometimes mixed in, said Bob from <b>Jersey Coast Bait-N-Tackle</b>. Sandworms and Fin-S Fish attracted the bites, and sands are stocked. Both snapper blues and crabs to 7 inches were plentiful in the back waters. Manasquan River seemed to give up lots of fluke, and Bob’s daughter reeled in 11 of the flatties to 22 inches. Ocean fluking also seemed good, normally around 50 feet. Surf fishers could nab 1-pound blues and sometimes fluke but were limited to hours when bathers weren’t taking over the beaches.    

<b>Seaside</b>

Surf fishing for fluke was progressing like it should, and the catches of flatties, including keepers, were becoming more frequent, said the fishing report on <b>Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. One customer landed 14 from the surf, and a 3-pound 2-ouncer was the biggest. Spro bucktails fished with Gulps seemed best. Bluefish hadn’t arrived in the suds like they did last year at this time, but Barnegat Inlet and Barnegat Bay were loaded with them. Off the local docks snapper fishing and crabbing were becoming better all the time, and spearing were moving into the area. The surf was 1 to 2 feet, 72 degrees and 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>

Big weakfish, or big ones for this time of year, were monstering baits and lures at Meyer’s Hole for anglers on the <b>Hi Flier</b>, Capt. Dave DeGennaro said in an e-mail. His charters were slamming the 15- to 19-inchers--weaks with the “shoulders” and girth to make the 6- and 8-pound outfits scream--Sunday through Tuesday like the fish hadn’t eaten in days. The anglers fished while chumming with live grass shrimp and free-lining weightless, hooked shrimp, impaling the shrimp on shad darts, dropping hooked shrimp to the bottom with a small egg sinker or large split shot, or casting soft plastic lures, small jigheads with chartreuse grubs or even flies. A few snapper blues also showed up, and so did a ton of hickory shad that sometimes infested the slick. Soft plastic lures like Fin-S Fish or Bass Kandy Delights could be used to avoid the shad, because the lures were too big for them but not too big for the weaks. A 19-inch fluke was also landed. The boat is sailing twice daily for these trout on weekdays and on one trip each on Saturdays and Sundays. However, sometimes charters and open-boat trips will fish Barnegat Ridge, and both the weakfishing and the ridge trips will last into October. Call Dave for the open-boat schedule.

Fluke trips will resume with <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b> in the ocean around the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park this weekend, Capt. John said. No trips sailed since last weekend, but the fluking there was good on the boat last Friday and Saturday. Healthy numbers of good-sized fish swam the bottom in 25 to 40 feet, where they’ve held much of the season, even if the flatties elsewhere, like to the north, were in deeper water by now. Fluke do seem to move to deeper water as the season progresses, and John had one good fluke trip in deeper water at the Tires this year a couple of weeks ago, but he knew a couple of anglers who fished the Tires this weekend and did terribly. Barnegat Bay was apparently full of fluke but short ones. Perfect Drift will probably stick with fluking until the season closes after September 10, and afterward charters will probably target weakfish in Barnegat Bay. Weakfish were already biting in the bay, but they usually stay until October. John was hearing that the weakies were somewhat larger than usual this season. After weakfishing, Perfect Drift should start chasing the fall run of striped bass and blues. John was hearing reports about slower bonito fishing than before at Barnegat Ridge lately, and the speedsters were apparently still trolled, but fewer numbers than before, when boats were loading up on the fish.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Ocean boaters bagged decent catches of fluke around 30 or 35 feet north and south of Barnegat Inlet, and live spots helped a lot, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. Barnegat Bay gave up a few keeper fluke but lots of shorts. Weakfish were definitely turning on in the bay, and live grass shrimp, Gulps and Fin-S Fish would get bites. Small blues ran the inlet, and a few anglers reported catching striped bass from the inlet jetty at night, and one nailed a 42-incher on a live eel. Anglers at the inlet also threw clams and bunker to pick short stripers. Kingfish moved into the surf in the local area, nibbling small strips of clam, Gulp bloodworms or sandworms. Josh heard about a bullnose shark that was fought from the surf at Harvey Cedars yesterday. Bonito were trolled at Barnegat Ridge, and Josh even heard about bluefin tuna boated at the ridge. Tuna fishing farther offshore was very good at the Resor Wreck, Lindenkohl Canyon and the Hot Dog. The shop is carrying live and frozen grass shrimp and live eels, and bunker was expected to arrive tomorrow, and some will be kept fresh, and most will be frozen for crabbing. The shop was going to try to stock bloodworms or sandworms this weekend.

<b>Brighton Beach</b>

A run of blues filled the surf fairly consistently at first light and last light, and kingfishing and fluking in the suds were spotty, producing a few, but it was slow, said Christian from <b>Oceanside Bait & Tackle</b>. One surf angler pinned down a 37-inch striped bass at 77th Street over the weekend, but no other striper catches were reported. The bigger fluke seemed to move to deep water and the ocean, but some keepers could be bagged in the bay, though the number of shorts in the bay was high. Weakfish turned on at Meyer’s Hole and along the Dike off the northern side of Long Beach Island, but they stopped biting when boat traffic picked up during the day, and nothing was heard about weakfish in the bay near the shop on the southern of the island. Olley’s Lump was home to bluefin tuna and mahi mahi, and so was Barnegat Ridge, and Christian heard a few reports about king mackerel at the ridge, and bonito also swam the ridge, chomping down on Clark spoons. The store is stocking live spots, eels and minnows, and fresh bunker and clams should be stocked soon, and smelts, sand eels and a full supply of frozen and artificial baits are on hand. Oceanside opened this spring and is located at 8201 Long Beach Boulevard on the southern end of Long Beach Island. The store’s owners are the same as from Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

Fluke fishing from the bay to the ocean was “going fairly well, I’ve got to say,” Capt. Chuck from <b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b> said. His trips were staying near the shore, because his boat was being re-powered and should be finished in a week or so. Two trips sailed, a limited number because of the boat maintenance, and the catch included some good-sized flatties, including 5- to 6-pounders. One in three of the fish was probably a keeper, and most keepers were 17 to 19 inches. When Chuck could net peanut bunker for bait, “forget about it,” he said, because plenty of the flatfish were nailing them. He was able to net quite a few peanuts in the evenings. A few weakfish, but not many, were also coming up for Angler from shallow waters in the bay and sometimes the inlet on bloodworms, Gulps and peanuts if available. Weakfishing should improve, and the season was a little late, but waters were cool much of the year. The ocean within 3 miles of the coast was also loaded with sharks, mostly sandsharks, but also others including threshers. Two threshers were hooked on his recent trips but bit through the line with bunker baits that were meant for stray stripers or blues that might’ve showed up on the fluke outings. The rest of the rods were rigged with fluke tackle. Afterward he rigged with wire leader for a chance to land the threshers, but none bit. He saw one of the hooked threshers, apparently a 5-footer, and the second was probably the same size. He even heard about a surf angler tackling a thresher. When the boat is re-powered, charters will sometimes run to Barnegat Ridge, mostly for big bluefish, but also for mixed bags of a number of fish that make the ridge home, including bonito, false albacore and fluke that hug bottom along the edges. Chuck heard from an angler who scored a good catch of bluefin tuna at the ridge. All the big bluefish seemed to hold at the ridge, and none roamed closer to shore, no doubt because of the sharks. But cocktail blues schooled closer to shore.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

A little flounder fishing took place in the ocean Tuesday with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, but there was no drift, so the bite was slow, Capt. T.J. said. Charters were usually flounder fishing near the reefs but not on the reefs. Yesterday there was too much wind to drift for flounder, and this is what it’s been about: conditions. When winds and currents created good drifts, the flatties bit. Legal Limit is also tuna fishing and scored a decent catch Sunday that was reported previously, and the boat was fishing a warm eddy that had flowed into Lindenkohl Canyon. T.J. heard from another boater from the marina who fished that area in the past days and loaded up on the fish while chunking at night, going something like 8 for 10 on yellowfins to 50 pounds. Dates are available for chunking charters in the next few weeks, and a limited number of openings are available for inshore bluefin tuna fishing. Bluefin action was spotty locally but happening far south.

<b>Mystic Islands</b>

One report rolled in about 10 flounder bagged at Little Egg Inlet, and another was heard about nine boated there, and if that many were hooked, “something’s happening,” said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. In other words, the fish were fluke, but the fishing was no fluke. Still, angling was tough this week. Two anglers reported flounder fishing at Little Egg Reef on Tuesday, and first there was no drift and no winds. One of the boaters power drifted and ended up with a decent catch. The other caught a breeze in the afternoon that picked up the drift, and then flatties were caught. The ocean just off the inlet sometimes gave up ¾-pound bluefish, and the next closest blues were big ones at Barnegat Ridge, a bit of hike. Reports were also heard about bonito biting at the ridge. In the bay a bunch of short flukes skittered around the bottom, but the keepers seemed to come from the inlet. Somebody mentioned weakfish landed at the mouth of Big Creek, but that was the only available news about weaks. Nobody reported trying for the sharks that can usually be fought in Great Bay at this time of year, but the sharking should still be possible. Crabbing produced lots of small blueclaws and few keepers.

<b>Absecon Bay</b>

Lots of weakfish, mostly 2- to 6-pounders, pretty good-sized, were pulled from Meadow Cut and off Black Point on Berkley Gulps, shedder crabs or live peanut bunker, said Joe from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Flounder in the back waters mostly stayed along the ocean side of Absecon Inlet, and the flattie fishing slows down in the back bay in the heat of summer. But ocean reef fishing for flounder was putting out impressive catches, and big, 10- and 11-pounde doormats were weighed in from the reefs. Blues, mostly 2-pounders, in the back bay chased spearing and mullet, and bigger blues schooled the reefs. Tons of baitfish and mullet schooled the creeks at night. Striped bass, decent-sized ones, still bit at the bridges at night. Surf anglers sometimes picked up stripers at night, and blues also pushed into the surf. Lots of sharks haunted the waters close to the beaches, and one surf caster dragged a 6-foot bull shark onto the beach, and a few anglers scared up thresher sharks in the wash. Crabbing was productive all summer but got even better lately, and apparently the heat turned on the action, and lots could be nabbed in the creeks and along the bridges to Atlantic City. The shop carries a large selection of live baits, including spots, mullet, peanut bunker, minnows, shedder crabs and eels, and a full supply of other baits is stocked.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Offshore fishing was great, both for bluefin tuna closer to shore and yellowfin tuna and other big game farther from shore at the canyons, said Jack from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. The bluefins were beginning to bite on the chunk after already hitting on the troll, and customers were starting to buy butterfish for chunking. Big bull dolphin also hit at the inshore grounds inside of the 28-Mile Wreck. Besides yellowfins, the canyons gave up bigeye tuna and sometimes blue marlin, and Jack was beginning to hear reports about white marlin landed there. The <b>Carly A</b>, the shop’s offshore charter boat, fished Carteret Canyon on Sunday and trolled a couple of 60- or 70-pound yellowfins and fought a 300-pound bigeye tuna that spit the hook. The boat did no chunking. Closer to shore, most flounder fishing moved to the ocean in 40 feet, and a few kingfish were picked up in the surf and even in the back bay. Snapper blues were everywhere, and a handful of weakfish hit in the evenings in the back bay. Loads of baitfish from peanut bunkers to spots and even butterfish filled the back bay. The shop is fully supplied with offshore baits including the butterfish already mentioned, sardines, flats of mackerel, trolling squid, Spanish mackerel and bunker chum. A new shipment of BaitMaster ballyhoos, including rigged ones, is expected to arrive Tuesday. Inshore baits include minnows, spearing, herring, bunker, bloodworms, squid and more.

<b>Margate</b>

On the <b>Jessie O’</b> anglers were slamming cocktail blues yesterday near the ocean beaches in big ground swells, Capt. Jay said. Lots of throwback flounder were also hooked, and anglers could weed through them to land a few keepers. The boat has often been fishing the reefs lately, but no trips plied the reefs in the past days. Previously the number of keeper flounder was increasing on those trips. The Jessie O’ runs open-boat trips every morning and is now also offering Magic Hour, open trips from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. Charters also sail on the vessel. On Jay’s boat the <b>Fish N’ Fun</b>, a pontoon boat that’s flounder fishing in the back bay on two 4-hour trips daily, lots of throwback flounder were biting, and a few keepers were usually landed, but every day was different. Reservations are being accepted for the Thunder Over the Boardwalk Trip from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. this coming Wednesday for the best seats in the house for the Atlantic City Airshow. Performances include those by the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, Coast Guard and civilians. See the Air Force Thunderbirds, the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team, the 177th Fighter Wing, world-class civilian acrobatics and much more. Lunch is included. Lots of party cruises are also sailing, and a DJ and catering are available.
 
<b>Longport</b>

Snapper blues were the catch along the ocean beaches on trips the past couple of days, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. Loads of the snappers hit trolled Clark spoons, and nothing else was really biting. Fishing farther offshore—including trolling for blues, bonito, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel and such speedsters, bottom fishing and tuna fishing—shut down for some reason. Maybe water that “rolled over” a number of times from conditions like easterly winds, southwesterly winds and rainstorms was the cause. Four spaces remain for an open-boat tuna trolling trip this coming Sunday, running 4 a.m. to 4 p.m., and all other such trips are sold out for now. Overnight, open-boat trips for tuna will begin September 9, limited to six passengers on the 53-foot vessel, leaving plenty of elbow room. Stray Cat focuses on blackfish when the tog bag limit increases November 15, and the trips last year absolutely hammered the slipperies in the waters off South Jersey that are a lot less raked over than in North Jersey, and Mike gave the heads up that this year’s blackfish trips are already filling, and it’s a good idea to start reserving space. 

<b>Ocean City</b>

Spike weakfish and small croakers reportedly bit in the ocean near the beaches, and the ocean was alive with 1-pound blues almost everyplace, and lots of brown sharks and rays filled the waters near shore, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. A few kingfish also swam the ocean front, but kingfishing never really turned on so far. Decent bodies of flounder laid in the holes in 40 feet off Atlantic City, and one fellow was fishing a strip of squid for flounder but ended up with a 75-pound, 61-inch cobia. Wow! The Table Top, the Stone Beds and the reefs also held some flounder, and the back bay was home to the flatties but mostly throwbacks. Small weakfish sometimes grabbed shedder crab in the back bay near the Parkway in the early mornings and in the evenings. Bonito and bluefish could be hooked at Sea Isle Ridge, and yellowfin tuna were chunked at the Misty Blue wreck.  

<b>Cape May</b>

A charter caught the heck out of 1- to 3-pound bluefish and a few larger ones at 5-Fathom Bank on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> while trolling yesterday, Capt. George said. Strong winds kicked up sloppy seas at first but laid down later. The boat kept passing over a pile of the fish that was found, and sometimes a group of larger blues appeared, and the five rods were all bent over at once many times. No bonito were hooked, and only two bonito were trolled all year on the boat, even though bonito were walloped last year. Bonito this year seemed abundant farther north, including off Sea Isle and Barnegat, but not near Cape May. The charter had enough of bluefishing by 5 p.m. and decided to bottom fish, moving to the reef and hooking two keeper flounder among 15 or 20 shorts and a few keeper sea bass among probably 15. Most of the flounder were 14 to 16 inches, and 10 ounces of weight was needed to hold bottom until seas began to calm. George heard from others who bottom fished at the Old Grounds the same day and found no drift and no bite. The fish at the Old Grounds will refuse to hit with no drift, and lately the fishing there seemed to be active two or three days, shut down a number of days, turn back on another couple of days and so on. George heard from an angler who boated a bunch of croakers in Delaware Bay. Talk on the radio on the Heavy Hitter’s trip sounded like tuna anglers sometimes got into plenty of action. The Heavy Hitter ran a bluefin tuna charter Sunday that was dynamite at the inshore lumps.

Reef Site 11 and the Old Grounds were the places to head for big flounder, and Cape May Reef held smaller ones so far and sea bass, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Flounder could still be found in Delaware Bay, and deeper water was probably best in the heat, and a bunch of customers scored quite well on flatties in the bay in the deep water near the 9 buoy. If flounder anglers wanted to stay closer to shore, they could get bites at the hill off the Concrete Ship, and brown sharks also roamed those waters. Small blues also showed up in the general area, and surf anglers picked up a few croakers at the Higbee’s Beach jetties and at Cape May Point. Sometimes flounder also bit from the suds, and striped bass anglers hooked up in the wash in the early mornings on soft plastic lures, popper lures like Creek Chubs, Bomber swimming plugs, clams or eels. Back bay flounder fishing becomes difficult in the heat of summer, but maybe some could be hooked in the early morning if any time. However, one angler nailed a 25-1/2-inch flounder at the 50-Cent Bridge. The last few days were too windy for most offshore boaters to head out for tuna, but trolling for bluefin tuna should be good at places like 19-Fathom Lump, Massey’s Canyon and even closer to the coast like at the Triple Lumps.

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