<b>Staten Island</b>

Excellent fishing for striped bass went down on the <b>Barbara Ann</b> in the ocean until the action slowed Saturday, because of the moon phase, Capt. Anthony said. The fishing’s probably about to wind down, considering July was almost here. But trips will target the fish at least through the week, swimming live bunker for bites. Sea bass will become the focus when striper catches drop off, and combo sea bass/fluke trips might run, though New York’s 20-1/2-inch fluke size limit was tough. Anthony said in the past that if fluke are targeted, quality flatbacks will be the deal. Open-boat Blue Collar Special striped bass trips will keep sailing on Tuesday and Thursday evenings during the week. They’re coming to an end, so act now.

A trip with <b>Outcast Charters</b> first trolled for striped bass in the ocean Saturday morning, and catches were super, Capt. Joe said. Throwbacks had to be weeded through, but keepers were bagged, and sometimes multiple hook-ups were scored. Then the anglers switched to sea bassing, and the bottom bouncing was great. Scores of the lumpheads and some ling were boated, and good-sized, out-of-season blackfish were caught and released. A trip Sunday was cancelled because of forecasts for heavy rains by 10 a.m., although the rains never kicked in until evening, and the trip probably could’ve sailed. Charters will run the next two days, probably also combo striper/sea bass trips, so long as stripers cooperate. Otherwise strictly sea bass will be hunted. When striper fishing ends, sea bass will be the focus for Outcast, especially because New York’s fluke size limit is difficult.

<b>Keyport</b>

Mike Kral, son Anton and Fred Terrence fluke fished on the bay Friday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> and caught and released shorts, Capt. Joe said. On Saturday Mike Riccardi, son James and friend John Price took a fluke trip on the bay and also hooked and released shorts. The trips fished at the 1 can, around the 19 and 20 cans and on the Belford Flats with squid and killies, and the biggest flatties were 16 ½ inches, and no bluefish bit. Open-boat trips are running 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily when no charter is booked. Workingman’s Special open-boat trips are also sailing 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily when no charter is scheduled. The boat is available for either a charter or an open-boat trip on the Fourth of July. Call to reserve all trips.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Charters fluke fished on the <b>CRT II</b> on Thursday and Saturday, catching pretty much the same as on other recent trips: lots of flatties, not lots of keepers, Capt. Mick said. But a few keepers were taken on each trip, and every recent trip usually boated at least one 4 ½ pounds. The 18-inch size limit caused any keepers to be fairly sizeable anyway. The fishing was good, but the keeper ratio was way down, Mick said. The trips fished at Flynn’s Knoll and in the ocean off the Sandy Hook nude beach and the sewer pipe at the Route 36 Bridge. Lots of 17- and 17-1/2-inch fluke, keepers during last year’s 17-inch limit, were hooked. So Mick hoped more keepers would be around as the season progressed, because the fish will have to grow.  Squid, spearing and killies were the baits. Blues popped up all over, and a few were fought here and there, and they moved quickly. If anglers anchored and chummed at Flynn’s Knoll, they could usually catch a ton of blues. Charters will keep fluke fishing, one of the boat’s specialties through summer.

The <b>Fishermen</b> switched to fluke fishing on Friday, after sailing for striped bass all spring, and the trip was “a very nice day on the water,” Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. Patrons picked away at shorts and keepers, and the high hook bagged five. Tom Pignoti boated four keepers, including a 3.15-pounder that was now in the lead for the season-long pool for the biggest. Ron didn’t say where the trip fished, but the boat often hits the ocean like along the channels. Striper fishing turned out to be difficult for party boats through spring. For example, private boaters and charters recently could score stripers in the ocean on live bait in the early mornings and late in the day, but live bait and that schedule wasn’t conducive to party boat fishing. But to add insult to injury, Ron got a call Friday from a captain who said his patrons nailed 50 stripers to 40 pounds on jigs that day. “I now need a new cell phone, as the one I was using is in 30 feet of water!” Ron joked. The Fisherman was chartered Saturday, so no open trip sailed then, and no report came in Sunday, so the boat probably didn’t fish, maybe because of rough seas in strong winds.  The Fishermen is fluke fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Magic Hour Trips are running for stripers and blues 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Eventually the afternoon trips will concentrate on blues.

Doug Schumann from Clifton wrestled aboard the biggest fluke of the season so far, a 10-pound 11-ouncer, on yesterday morning’s trip on the <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Regular customer Bruce Worth from Keansburg also belted a 5-pound 4-ouncer. Fluking remained about the same, and plenty of fish gave up action, and many were shorts, and catches were a matter of an angler getting lucky and hooking the keepers. The boat fished at a bunch of places throughout the bay, including Sandy Hook Point, the TC buoy, Flynn’s Knoll, Reach Channel and on either side of the Navy Pier, depending on where drifting conditions were best. The summer flounder were spread all over the areas, and anglers were fortunate for the plentiful choices of locations, depending on conditions. On some drifts the fishing would start to look up, and tough drifts took place, too. Some of the shorts were only an inch or half-inch undersized, and some were 14 or 15 inches, and others were 11 or 12 inches. But the smaller fish were good, because they were the future of the stock.   The Atlantic Star is fishing 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>

<b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> competed in Saturday’s Hi-Mar Striped Bass Tournament, a tournament where the winner is the one with the highest combined weight for two stripers, and of the 46 boats entered, only 12 checked in fish, and only 11 caught two, Capt. Brian said. So fishing was tough, but Jersey Devil placed sixth with a 34-pounder and an 18-pounder, the only stripers boated on the trip. They were caught along the ocean beach front on the troll, and no bass bit on bunker baits. But although striper fishing was tough in the ocean up north, Brian knew that catches were decent farther south toward Seaside or Long Beach Island. Brian also fished on Friday with his father and Ed Perrone, Ed’s son and Cole Svenson, and they landed two stripers, a 35-pounder and a 32-pounder, good-sized, but, again, tough fishing. Three or four other bass came up on the live bunker baits but never connected. The area’s striper fishing was good until the full moon. But it could bounce back, and Jersey Devil will keep sailing for the linesiders until the bite’s definitely finished for the season, and specializes in trophy stripers. Shark trips are supposed to kick off Saturday.

Striped bass fishing became up and down in the ocean by the end of the week, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. His trips picked the fish here and there by the weekend, but didn’t connect like before. The linesiders were landed farther south toward Barnegat Inlet, where the bait also moved. The waters at Barnegat cooled from south winds, though the ocean up north where Derek fished didn’t really cool. Derek was away today, but a friend said he put together a good catch of bass in the northern waters today. A few dates remain for striper charters through mid July, and the fish usually keep biting through then, and Fisher Price will stick with striper fishing as long as it lasts. Fluke trips will also sail.

Capt. Mike from the <b>Katie H</b> fluke fished around the Navy Pier and picked up five keepers and probably 30 throwbacks on a 3- or 4-hour trip over the weekend, he said. Capt. John, Mike’s partner on the boat, shark fished on another vessel in Mako Mania, and they landed eight makos to 130 pounds. Mike also knew about other makos caught, and if anyone wants to take a shark charter, now’s the time, and the season doesn’t last long. The Katie H will begin a heavy schedule of tuna trips a little later this season but is now shark fishing and running inshore trips, like for fluke and stripers.

<b>Belmar</b>

The <b>Nan Sea J</b> fluke fished in the ocean, and catches were fair to good, depending on the drift, Capt. Tom said. In other words, when winds and currents created the right drifting speed, fish bit better. Flatbacks to 22 inches came up, and so did lots of throwbacks and some sea bass and ling, and the hills in deeper, 50- or 60-foot depths seemed best. The boat also sailed for bluefish for very good action with 3- to 10-pounders on jigs and bait around 10 or 12 miles from shore. Nan Sea J’s weekly, open-boat shark trip is slated to sail Wednesday, and the annual trips are running every Wednesday through July, a great opportunity to tangle with bruisers of the deep without having to charter the whole boat. The vessel is one of the few charters that sails open-boat for sharks. Shark charters are also available, and sharking is Tom’s favorite fishing.

Anglers on the <b>Golden Eagle</b> scored awesome bluefishing on both daytime and nighttime trips at least through Friday, the last time a report rolled in from the boat. That e-mail also said multiple 18- to 46-pound striped bass were nailed on jigs on Friday. James Takasugi hauled in the 46-pounder, and Scott Farguhar took a 36-pounder. Trevor Stoveken walloped a pair of 22- and 24-pounders, and Ed Figler bagged one that weighed more than 20.   The Golden Eagle is sailing daily for blues and stripers 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.

<b>Brielle</b>

Striped bass were nailed in the ocean through the week, but the fishing dropped off Saturday, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. He fished with Joe Dalik and Big Al Wutkowski on Al’s boat on Thursday, and they tackled 12 striped bass and four thresher sharks on snagged and dropped bunker. Plenty of blues swam around, and some pods of the schooling bunker only held blues.  Ocean temps were in the high 60s during the trip but reportedly took a dive during the weekend. That probably also affected ocean fluke fishing. A bunch of fluke covered the ocean bottom, though many were shorts, and many would’ve been keepers last year, before the larger size limit. Still, some anglers bagged doormats, like 8-pound fish that Dave heard about. One customer bought a handful of Shimano’s new Lucanus jigs and said he hooked some 5- and 7-pound fluke on them in the ocean. Anglers had been waiting to try the jigs on the flatties. Dave is supposed to take a trip with Shimano this week to fish the jigs for sea bass and fluke. Sea bassing sounded challenging on the party boats, and small sea bass abounded, but patrons scratched together a catch, and sometimes the boats would then fish for ling, and ling fishing was pretty good. Manasquan River sort of held a bunch of fluke but lots of shorts. But some river anglers landed up to a half-dozen keepers, though they fished all day. Lots of 1-1/2- or 2-1/2-pound blues filled the river. Nobody mentioned striper fishing in nearby Point Pleasant Canal, but that doesn’t mean no stripers were caught there. Most stripers did seem to swim the ocean, because of all the schooling bunker. A couple of boaters made the season’s first offshore trips and nailed yellowfin tuna. Dave thought they fished at Hudson Canyon but wasn’t sure. Others tried to locate bluefin tuna closer to shore but only grabbed bluefish. Mako shark fishing seemed productive, and many shark fished, especially because of the weekend’s shark tournaments. Blue sharks were abundant. One customer overnighted at a canyon and drilled a mako, and another hooked two makos including one keeper on Thursday. <b>***<i>Last chance to enter the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund’s</b> <a href=" http://ssfff.org/raffle.html" target="_blank"> raffle for a boat, motor and trailer </a></i>, because the drawing will take place Saturday.  The raffle is only $20 for a chance to win a 17-foot Mako with a motor and trailer donated by the American Sportfishing Association and electronics donated by Henry’s Tackle, and, most importantly, support the SSFFF. If you’re concerned about fluke fishing, including the challenging size limit this year, this is your chance to do something about it. The SSFFF is spearheading the efforts to save the fluke fishery for anglers, and there is no Plan B at this point. Take a look at the SSFFF web site and consider supporting the organization. The Reel Seat is now open late or until 8 p.m. on Fridays. So the hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Mondays through Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Two crews from the NJH Hunting Club hopped on deck Tuesday and Wednesday with <b>Angela Rose Charters</b> on Happy Hour Trips from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and results on both were practically identical, Capt. Anthony said. They broke the inlet and caught bunker for bait, and beautiful striped bass marks were read, fish stacked on top of each other, but they refused to bite. Plenty of the fish supposedly bit earlier in the day, and they seemed to hold on the bottom, digesting all they ate, in the evening. But plenty of stripers swam the ocean, and the fishing apparently did take the right timing. When they did hit, they were big. Another trip over the weekend found plenty of bunker, but this time no stripers were marked. So the anglers switched to bluefishing, ran offshore, and slammed the fish. Blues schooled everywhere, and sometimes six rods were bent at once, and both jigs and bait got attacked, and it didn’t mater. Angela Rose is offering Happy Hour Trips on both shared charters and regular charters, and the shared charters are especially available at a very reasonable rate. Get on the waters after work and be back at the dock with plenty of time for z’s before work the next day. Get your fishing in with no hassles and little cost, and leave the work to the Angela Rose crew. Anglers can enter the monthly pool for only $5, and the entrants with the biggest fish win prizes including free spots on trips, a bunch of tackle from Mai Tai, who is exclusively outfitting Angela Rose with rigs this season, and clothing like T-shirts. Check out details on the boat’s web site.

A trip with four anglers left port to try to chase striped bass and fluke or bottom fish in the ocean Saturday with <b>Reel Class Charters</b>, a report on Reel Class’s web site said. They ran south to find bunker to catch for bait, found them fairly quickly and then fished bunker pods, working them to Normandy Beach. Nothing bit, and boat traffic was insane. So they moved to lumps and rough spots for fluke and bottom fishing and reeled in dogfish, skates, sea bass and ling, but no fluke. At 10:45 a.m. the captain got a call about blues getting jigged like crazy, and the anglers decided to run there. The blues were found a few miles off Ortley Beach, and each of the anglers hooked right up. The mostly 7- to 10-pounders, spitting up sardines, rainfish and bunker, kept attacking, and two drifts were “insane.” The rest were a pick, and the crew followed the massive school to a few miles north of Barnegat Inlet. Then the anglers picked up and started working their way back home, stopped at a few bunker pods off Ortley and Lavallette, but nothing bit. They had to work hard for a catch, but the blues saved the day, and the trip was good, the report said. Reel Class will fish for striped bass as long as the fish stick around, and trips will target fluke and sea bass more and more, until focusing on them during summer. Annual, open-boat Fluke Till You Puke Marathons will also sail.

On the <b>Gambler</b> pretty good catches of fluke were pulled up from the ocean through Saturday morning, until winds switched and blew from the southeast, cooling waters, slowing down the bite, Capt. Bob said. Surface temps dropped to 59 degrees from 68, but the boat then fished deeper, and although the fishing was slower, some decent-sized flatties were bagged, and sea bass were hooked. Trips previously fished in 40 feet over mussel beds, and Bob wouldn’t say the fluking was great there, but it was decent, a steady pick, and some keepers were taken, and sea bass were nabbed then, too. Ken Peacock nailed a doormat almost 7 pounds on Thursday or Friday that was the biggest in past days. Gail VonHoffman boxed a 6-1/4-pounder, a 3-pounder and three or four sea bass on Saturday morning. No particular rigs out-produced others, although Spro jigs were an advantage a moment before. But now regular rigs also caught well. A nighttime bluefishing trip that fished 12 miles straight off the inlet on Saturday was about as good as could be, and patrons hammered 6- to 12-pound slammers. The Gambler is fishing for fluke twice daily from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and is bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

An 18-3/4-inch, keeper fluke and probably 18 shorts, including lots around 17 inches that would’ve been keepers last year, were boated in the ocean on the <b>Day at Sea</b> on Saturday, Capt. Frank said. A couple of throwback sea bass, one ling, sharks and skates also turned up. The trip fished at the Shrewsbury Rocks, off Long Branch and off the Highlands Bridge. Charters are mostly fishing for fluke and blues. Charters will eventually sail for tuna, including on open-boat trips.

Patrons on the <b>Sea Devil</b>, a boat that exclusively sails for bluefish, got into super fishing for the speedsters the last three days, Cindy said. The fish on yesterday’s trip weighed 6 to 12 pounds, and the fish were smaller at first but were bigger as the trip went on, and they were pretty thick a while. “Lot of fun,” Cindy said. They hit both jigs and bait, mostly jigs until halfway through the trip, then bait produced better. But afterward the fish were so thick that they hit both. Waters were 67 degrees. On Friday an angler from Wisconsin hauled in a 44-inch striped bass that was probably 35 pounds. A nighttime bluefishing trip on Saturday at the Mudhole doled out a load of the fish during the first hour. Afterward the fishing was a slow pick, but catches were so good during the beginning that patrons did end up coming home early. The Sea Devil is fishing for blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and from 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. every Saturday.

Shark trips fished on the <b>Tuna-Tic</b>, Capt. Mike said. One 6-foot, keeper mako was the catch Saturday, and Mike thought a trip Thursday landed two short makos, two blue sharks and two browns, if he remembered correctly. On Wednesday two brown sharks, one short mako and one blue shark were leadered. Shark trips will probably now end on the vessel, and the crew only offers sharking during the peak. Waters were a little warm or 70 degrees by Thursday, although south winds dropped the temps by the weekend. But Mike might mix in fishing for thresher sharks on bluefish trips that are running this week. Lots of life filled the waters. Three-day, open-boat tuna trips will fish through summer starting the second week of July and are pretty booked. But Mike would love to squeeze in a tuna trip this week if anglers are interested. Give him a call if so. Yellowfin and bigeye tuna were already out there, and a 180-pound bigeye was brought back to the marina.

<b>Bricktown</b>

Customers knocked down big striped bass on snagged bunker, chunked bunker and bunker spoons in the ocean, said Tommy from <b>Pell’s Fish & Sport</b> in a fax. Jeff Lynn lambasted a 49-pounder, his first-ever bass, a fish of a lifetime, on snagged bunker. Tim Duger trolled a 45-1/2-pounder on a bunker spoon on Capt. John Mullin’s Left Hook. Jason Blandino fished from a kayak and reeled in a 41-1/2-pounder that towed him around off Normandy Beach. Mike Viglove trolled a 37-pounder on a bunker spoon. Other big ones from 27 to 35 pounds were also listed, including another boated off Normandy Beach and a couple pulled aboard off Manasquan and Seaside. Bryan Haenik fished the surf and dragged in a 14-pound striper at Mantoloking on fresh clam. Fluke fishing kept improving, and the bigger flatties seemed to come from deeper waters, like at Sea Girt Reef, Axel Carlson Reef and the rock piles and structure off Long Branch.

<b>Seaside</b>

Boaters and kayakers latched into big striped bass in bunker schools in the ocean Saturday, and surf fishing for them was mostly tough, because the schools swam just out of range, but a few surf-caught linesiders were weighed in, said the fishing report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web site. They included fish that weighed 31, 24 and 13 pounds that bit a Grumpy bunker, a popper and a Grumpy clam, respectively. Few anglers hit the beaches Sunday, apparently scared off by forecasts for stormy weather that never happened. But three sharpies checked in two 15-pounders and a 9 pounder, and two of the fish ate bunker, and one swallowed clam. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Forked River</b>

Anglers with <b>Seafood Fishing Charters</b> competed in the Mako Fever  and Mako Mania tournaments during the weekend, Capt. John said. On Friday the anglers fished in Mako Fever and battled to the boat a 125-pound mako, a thresher shark just over 300 pounds and a blue shark at the Glory Hole. On Saturday the anglers on deck landed a thresher over 400 pounds at the same spot at the Glory Hole while fishing in both tournaments. The sharkers opted not to fish Sunday, because rough seas were forecast, and they had enough excitement. No winning fish was tackled on either day, but the catches were great nonetheless. The deeper area of the Glory Hole in 240 feet seemed to hold the most sharks. The waters were about 65 degrees, a little warmer by the second trip, reaching 69 degrees by the end of the day. The clarity was good, and the color wasn’t quite blue, but was attractive. No bluefish showed up. Bonito and mackerel were the baits, and mackerel chum was used. Seafood won’t do a ton of sharking but is available for more trips in the near future, while the fishing’s on. Tuna charters will kick off soon, and John talked with the crew from a well-known canyon boat who said they hooked 48 yellowfin tuna at Wilmington Canyon, if John remembered the total. Seafood is also fishing for striped bass, including on a charter Saturday. A slate of open-boat trips is running in addition to charters, and check the schedule on the boat’s web site. Space remains on a two-day, open-boat trip that will compete in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament.  Boats in the tournament are allowed to fish two days from July 30 to August 2. Last year’s purse was $365,000, and 20 percent of any winnings go to the crew on the trip, but the rest goes to the anglers. Seafood’s boat makes it to the offshore grounds probably quicker than any other charter in the state. The 33-foot HydraSports features three 250 h.p. engines, cruises at 45 m.p.h., tops out at 60 m.p.h. and arrives at the canyons in 2 hours in fair seas. Anglers can spend more time fishing than traveling.

<b>Waretown</b>

Barnegat Bay produced 28 fluke including one keeper on a trip in the past days, said Capt. John from <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b>. The new size limit was difficult, and ocean fluking might eventually fare better for keepers, but the fishing in the ocean seemed slow so far, and gave up lots of skates and sharks. Ocean fluking last year really got going toward the end of July and beginning of August. Ocean fishing for 20- to 40-pound striped bass, with an occasional 50-pounder thrown in, was holding up, and charters are available for those fish, too.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

A good catch of yellowfin tuna to 60 pounds and some 15-pound mahi mahi were trolled at Spencer Canyon with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> on Saturday, Capt. T.J. said. The waters were 71 degrees, and there was a warm eddie a little farther off that held no fish, and all the bites came in the cool waters. A fluke trip Sunday at Little Egg Reef reeled in two good-sized keepers and probably 25 throwbacks in rough, 5-foot seas. A bluefish trip was coming up this week, and the last bluefish trip last week apparently got hampered from warm waters, but T.J. hoped the cooler waters from south winds would make the bite bounce back. Shark charters are slated for Wednesday and the weekend.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Kingfish loaded the surf, and big striped bass were sometimes checked in from the suds, and ocean boaters also dusted big bass, said the report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. Stripers weighed in from the wash in the last couple of days included fish that weighed 36, 26 and 22 pounds. Bass that boaters showed off included two to 38 pounds. A 12-pound flounder was beaten in the back bay on a Berkley Gulp “as usual,” the report said. Whoever wrote the report, probably Capt. Andy, the shop’s owner, wondered why flounder anglers still fished with minnows, and the shop offers a money-back guarantee if customers aren’t satisfied with any Gulps purchased.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

At <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b> customers checked in plenty of striped bass beached from the surf, Noel said. The fish included a 38-inch 34-pounder, a 43-inch 26-pounder and a 33-inch 14-pounder. Bloodworms, fresh clams and fresh bunker took the fish. Loads and loads of kingfish bit in the surf on bloodworms. A few flounder were pulled from the suds, but more were lifted from the back bay, though many were throwbacks. A friend said probably 1 in 25 was a keeper. But one angler said he nailed a keeper on every cast for a while off Harrah’s, and must’ve been on a honey hole. Straggler bluefish sometimes moved into the surf, and two 12-pounders were weighed in. All the baits mentioned are stocked, and so are eels, mackerel fillets, mullet, pints and quarts of clams, frozen bunker, four colors of Pro Cut squid and more.

<b>Margate</b>

Eleven short flounder were caught and released in the bay on a trip Saturday, said Capt. Dave from <b>Fine Line Fishing Charters</b>. The biggest were 16 ½ inches, and minnow and squid combos were impaled on a single-hooked fish-finder rig. The anglers preferred to dead stick the baits, but adding some movement can help. Waters were cold and 58 degrees toward the inlet on high tide. A flounder charter will fish tomorrow, and eventually Fine Line will sail for the flatties in the ocean, as waters warm. The current size limit was difficult, and maybe bigger fish will swim the ocean. Fine Line focuses on flounder through summer and also trolls the inshore ocean for blues, bonito and other speedsters that show up in the warm months.

<b>Longport</b>

A few flounder, including big ones, 4- and 5-pounders, started to come up along with sea bass and ling from the reefs on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. Charters are mostly sailing, but open-boat trips sail every Thursday and Sunday through summer, currently targeting sea bass and, if conditions create a good drift, fluke. Big blues also bit, and a few bluefin tuna were fought 30 or 40 miles offshore. Three or four open-boat trips for the tuna will sail after the Fourth of July, limited to six passengers, trolling lures like small Green Machines or small plugs, before the tuna depart.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Two yellowfin tuna to 40 pounds were boated Friday at Spencer Canyon, and a blue marlin less than 150 pounds was released at Wilmington Canyon on the same trip, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. The tuna grabbed ballyhoos on Islanders, and the 69- to 72-degree temp break at the Spencer was filled with life, including pods of porpoises that the tuna hung around. A tuna bite also took place at the Wilmington, so the trip moved there, but the action was finished by the time the boat arrived. So the vessel moved farther offshore to warmer, 75-degree waters at 500 fathoms, where the marlin was hooked on a ballyhoo on a blue and white hex head after hitting three other lures in the spread. The Wilmington proper was 71 to 72 degrees. Joe heard about mahi mahi that were boated, and he knew about one bigeye that was lost. That fish was never seen, but when a fish is fought 2 hours and never jumps, that’s probably what it was. Joe was headed back to the Wilmington today. Back-bay water temperatures fluctuated a lot from ocean waters that cooled from south winds, and that hampered the fishing a bit. Blues were hooked on the bay yesterday on soft plastic lures, but striper fishing was slow. Joe looked forward to the end of the month, when high tides coincided with afternoons and mornings, ideal conditions for fishing the bay. Eventually Joe does lots of striper fishing on the bay with popper lures and flies in summer, one of his specialties. He poles the flats to catch them, fishing like tropical trips that anglers travel 1,000 miles to do. But it’s available right here in Sea Isle. Flounder fishing on the bay was okay, and lots of the fish covered the bottom, and many were a half-inch smaller than this year’s larger size limit.

<b>Avalon</b>

One of the boats from <b>Over Under Adventures</b> is now fishing from Avalon, according to an e-mail from the company. The Justified ran trips from the port Wednesday and Thursday that caught a bunch of small blues, bonito and Spanish mackerel in 50 to 60 feet on the offshore side of Sea Isle Ridge. Trips from Avalon will eventually head offshore for big game. Other boats from the fleet are fishing from Ocean City, Md., and Oregon Inlet, N.C. From Ocean City a trip targeted 600 fathoms between Poormans and Washington canyons on Friday and bailed a bunch of mahi mahi, including a handful of large ones to 42 pounds, and quite a few smaller ones from 8- to 12 pounders, on trolled ballyhoos and a few pitched squids. The charter searched for tuna, including in cooler waters on the way home, but no luck. On the previous Tuesday a charter from Ocean City looked for bluefin tuna at the Hambone, but none showed up. Sand eels seemed to be moving in. In North Carolina blue marlin fishing was spectacular on trips that produced two to six per day. One local boat kept a 711-pounder and released a 300-pounder, and the same boat released three the next day. White marlin and sailfish also bit. Tuna fishing from Oregon Inlet was up and down, producing anywhere from a few of the fish to a dozen or 15 per trip. But anyone who fished there caught a fair share of mahi mahi.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Flounder fishing put out excellent catches from the back bay, and lots of shorts were in the mix, and the fluke started to appear in the ocean at the Old Grounds and Cape May Reef, and, again, plenty were shorts, but some healthy sized keepers bit, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in an e-mail. Ernie Divencenzo on the Next Generation bagged a good catch of keeper flounder at the reef. Michael Brabazon fished on the trip and weighed in a 21-pound monkfish from the reef. Small sea bass also showed up at the reef. “Big” Frank Scirrotto landed a decent catch of flounder at night along the dock lights on his Hobie Outback Kayak. Billy Bittman fished from his kayak and reeled in small stripers along the sod banks, mainly in the evenings. Chris Parson fished the ocean from his kayak and landed stripers outside Cold Spring Inlet in the early mornings. Sterling Harbor is a kayak fishing headquarters, featuring kayak and accessories sales, kayak rentals and expert advice.  The surf gave up respectable striped bass fishing at North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest, and Ray Pashuk weighed in a 21-pounder from the North Wildwood suds. On offshore trips, yellowfin tuna, blue marlin, white marlin and mahi mahi were taken at the canyons. Frank Hennigan took the run to Wilmington Canyon and walloped 12 yellowfin tuna to 60 pounds. Dennis Joiner from the Blue Hoagie checked in a 40 pound tilefish that came from the Wilmington. Bluefin tuna were reported trolled at 19-Fathom Lump and the Hambone. The shop’s 15th annual Duke of Fluke Tournament will take place Saturday, July 12. A new kayak division has been added and will be a separate tournament, and all proceeds will benefit the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund. 

<b>Cape May</b>

Lady anglers on the <b>Down Deep</b> competed Saturday in the Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament, and only two blues were boated, but three bluefin tuna hammered the trolled lures, Capt. Bob said. That was the first time he was ever disappointed to catch tuna instead of bluefish!  he said.  The trip ran 40 miles offshore to waters near the Dump Site, because boaters bailed blues there the day before, but the fish were gone this day. Two of the bluefins were keeper-sized, and one was short. Merv Berckebills’ charter trolled for blues around the reef 8 miles from shore on Friday and decked a bunch of small ones along with a few Spanish mackerel. Brian Wolfgang’s group also trolled the area on Wednesday and picked up tons of 2- to 3-pound blues and seven Spanish mackerel. None of the blues in waters closer to shore around Cape May were the big slammers like were swarming farther north at Barnegat Ridge. But Barnegat Ridge is like a canyon run from Cape May. The Down Deep drum fished on Delaware Bay the rest of last week and continued to drill plenty, and drum even kept biting through the weekend. Bob knew about a party boat that came back with 20-some. The Down Deep will keep trolling for blues and other speedsters like Spanish macks and bonito and will also fish for sharks, fluke and sea bass, and tuna trips usually begin the first or second week of July.

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> competed in the Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament on Saturday at the Table Top, but the anglers couldn’t buy a blue, and a 45-pound bluefin tuna and a false albacore hit instead and were landed, Capt. George said. Tuna anglers who fished the area the previous day got covered up with blues. Big blues off Cape May were far offshore, but 1- to 2-pounders were plentiful at 5-Fathom Bank. Jane Williams and her crew from the Back Bay Alehouse from Atlantic City were the women who competed in the tournament on the boat. This was the third year they fished the event on the vessel, and George thanked them for taking the trip. On Sunday Steve Bush’s charter with Kevin, Jerry and Charlie shark fished just offshore of the Misty Blue and probably reeled in 25 brown sharks from 3 to 6 feet, basically non-stop. The Heavy Hitter is shark fishing, trolling for blues and other fish like bonito, and bottom fishing for flounder and sea bass. George heard about decent catches of flounder at some of the reefs and the Old Grounds. But Old Grounds anglers have to know where they’re going, and the right winds and currents have to come together to create a good drift. Although the boat is mostly fishing for these species, drum actually still bit well on Delaware Bay, and George is up for drum trips if anyone wants to go. Drum fishing is all the boat did till now. He knew one angler who blasted 12 or 14 drum Saturday and another who hit seven yesterday morning. George took a quick trip Thursday with friends who left the dock at 5 p.m., boated seven drum and got back to port at 7:30 p.m. One of the best things about the drum fishing was that only a handful of boats, like four or five, were now fishing the grounds.

<b>First Cast Sport Fishing</b> was shark fishing through the week, and so far three makos, including one keeper that weighed 150 to 175 pounds, were landed, Capt. Rob said. A big thresher, bigger than a 300-pounder that was boated on the vessel last year, also got off. Rich Royer’s group hooked the fish and also reeled in nine brown sharks. The Larry Bitiratus gang competed in Jim’s Bait & Tackle’s Mako Tournament on the boat over the weekend and leadered 10 brown sharks and fought a thresher 2 hours that finally caught the line in the wreck that was fished and broke off. Four anglers took turns on the rod. A big mako also entered the slick but never took a bait. A trip also competed in the South Jersey Shark Tournament the previous weekend, but no sharks even touched a bait, and only bluefish did. Drum kept hitting in Delaware Bay, and the fishing was actually great. A friend smoked 10 Saturday night, and Rob knew another angler who hauled up nine yesterday and came back early. First Cast is willing to drum fish if anyone wants and is also open for inshore trolling and flounder fishing. The trolling was producing bluefish and Spanish mackerel, and bonito were beginning to appear. Tuna charters will start soon, and Rob was supposed to head offshore for tuna with friends tomorrow, and the bite was already productive. Some bluefin tuna also swam inshore.

Flounder fishing served up probably 10 shorts for every keeper but still some keepers in 60 feet at the ocean reefs with <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Mike said. A few short sea bass also bit, and the anglers fished with cut baits, spearing, minnows and squid. A shark trip Saturday fished inshore or 20 miles off Cape May to try to tackle a thresher, and no thresher showed up, but probably eight brown sharks gave up good action, and maybe three were missed. Waters were too warm for makos or 72 degrees, so no attempt was made for the shortfins. Inshore bluefin tuna trips are slated to sail soon, and that fishery should be about to bust loose.

<b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s 26th annual Mako Tournament was held during the weekend, a week later than usual, Matt said in a fax. Apparently the event was delayed a week, because in recent years, waters were too cool for the best sharking. But this year waters were warm, and the fish were difficult to come by. That’s fishing! The crew of the Miss Edna Jane won first place with a 156-1/2-pound mako. No other makos were weighed in, so the crew of the Talisman won second with a 321-pound thresher. The staff at the shop thanks all the anglers for making the tournament a success. On a better note, shark fishers at Massey’s Canyon nailed 60- to 70-pound bluefin tuna when they marked fish deep and dropped down jigs. Tuna fishing farther offshore turned on through the week, first at Spencer Canyon, and then at Wilmington Canyon. Capt. Tom Swider, boat’s mate Tom Engels and crew on the Salty Susan bailed 30 yellowfin tuna, keeping a limit of 18, and released a white marlin while trolling at the Wilmington in 100 fathoms. “Not a bad first offshore trip,” Matt said, tongue in cheek. Anglers on the Last Chance fished the Spencer earlier in the week, boated four yellowfins and two 20-pound mahi and released three white marlin. Closer to shore, Anna Welsh on the Erica Sue landed a 27-1/2-pound cobia at 4-Fathom Bank that hit a trolled, green and yellow ponytail while she competed in the Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament. Croakers started to show up along Bayshore Channel and in the surf at Higbee’s Beach. Flounder fishing was spotty, and Cape May Reef, Reef 11 and the Old Grounds gave up some, but no heavy bites anywhere. That should improve as water temps rise.

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