<b>Staten Island</b>

Two 18- and 36-pound striped bass got smoked on the <b>Outcast</b> in the ocean on a charter Tuesday, Capt. Joe said. The anglers played around with stripers an hour in the morning and then switched to sea bassing. Scores of keeper sea bass, and lots of shorts, were pulled aboard, and so were a few ling, and out-of-season blackfish were released. On Wednesday a father and two young sons on the boat bottom fished, and the bite was kind of slow, but roughly 30 keeper sea bass were boxed, and one keeper fluke showed up, and big blackfish were released. The charter was the first-ever fishing trip for the anglers.

Anglers on the <b>Barbara Ann</b> reeled aboard striped bass, and ended up finding big ones in the ocean again this week, after catches had slowed toward last weekend, Capt. Anthony said. A 43-pounder was nailed on a trip Tuesday evening. Live bunker were the baits, and Blue Collar Special open-boat trips targeting stripers on Tuesday and Thursday evenings will keep sailing, but are almost finished for the season. Call to confirm whether they’re running, and reservations are required anyway. The boat’s web site can also be checked for updated schedules, and take a look at photos of recent catches, while you’re at it. A sea bass trip ran Tuesday and bagged 40 lumpheads to 2 ½ pounds and also mixed in striper fishing, grabbing a couple of the linesiders. Sea bassing should become more of a focus as striper catches taper off. When fluke fishing picks up more, combo sea bass/fluke trips will probably be offered. Anthony will give advice about what fishing seems best, and anglers can choose the target.

Bay boaters caught fluke, but locating keepers was difficult, said Patrick from <b>Michael’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A few blues could be angled in from the bay, and Staten Island surf anglers also beached a few small fluke and some blues. No striped bass really bit in the bay, and striper anglers had to travel down the oceanfront to Seaside and points south for catches. One crew checked in two mako sharks 152 pounds and 120 pounds subdued at the Triple Wrecks. A handful of small yellowfin tuna were reported taken from the canyons. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, minnows and all the frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Keyport</b>

A friend fluke fished around Sandy Hook on Sunday and nailed five flatties 22 to 26 inches, a pretty good catch, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>. Open boat trips are running 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily when no charter is booked, and Workingman’s Special open trips are sailing 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily when no charter is scheduled. Open trips or charters are available Friday to Sunday on Forth of July weekend.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fluke fishing stayed pretty much the same on the bay, and lots covered the bottom at all different places, quite a few fish spread throughout the waters, but the year’s larger size limit made catching keepers difficult, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Atlantic Star</b>. The boat fished spots including Flynn’s Knoll, Reach Channel and along the Navy Pier. Anglers sometimes think deeper waters like along the channels hold bigger fluke, but patrons found the same mix of sizes no matter where the boat fished. The Atlantic Star will fish the ocean if fishing seems better there, but so far, the ocean seemed to give up similar catches, and there was no purpose in moving there. The ocean was still cold. Sometimes, but not always, patrons fished Spro jigs and scored a little better than anglers fishing with rigs, like when winds and currents created little drift. One customer Tuesday worked a Spro and caught a little better, and Tom attributed that to a slow drift. But fishing a Spro takes work and experience or learning how to do it. Squid and spearing are provided for bait, and sometimes patrons will bring their own killies, and at times, killies can work better, although Tom noticed no difference lately. Seemed more about angler preference. A bluefish or two popped up once in a while. 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. UPDATE, today: Larry Clark from Hazlet slammed an 8-pound 7-ounce fluke on the boat this morning, Capt. Tom said. There was no drift on the trip at first, but the drift was picking up when Tom called with the update early today.

On the <b>Fishermen</b> patrons sometimes boated good-sized fluke, and not much of the fluke population were keepers, but a few were bagged, Capt. Ron said. Lots of shorts, a bunch an inch or less short, were hooked, and this year’s 18-inch size limit was “killing us,” he said. Anglers suffered from no lack of action, though. Some days of fluking were better than others, depending on conditions. Winds against the tide made drifting for the fish difficult yesterday, for example. The boat fished both the ocean and the bay that day. Evening trips on weekends had been sailing for striped bass and blues but will probably concentrate on blues now. The Fishermen is fluke fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Magic Hour Trips are running for blues and stripers, but probably mostly blues now, 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. UPDATE, today: Good fluking went down all day on today’s trip, and shorts put out plenty of action, but a healthy catch of keepers was boated. Gail Bernard was high hook with five, beating out Capt. Ron’s dad, Ron Sr., who bagged four. “Not good to beat out the senior captain,” Ron joked. A 7-pounder was the pool fish. The boat is chartered in the mornings tomorrow and Saturday, so no open trips will sail then. But the open trip Saturday evening will still sail.

Certain boaters at certain places around Sea Bright hauled in striped bass from the ocean, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Kevin Staub decked a 25-pounder there. Bass were also clammed around the clam boats, but the fish clammed out east were often small. Stripers could also be boated at night on worms around Sandy Hook Point. Surf casters plugged the linesiders at night at the Red Church in Long Branch. Stan Kosinksi fished the suds at the Sandy Hook bathing beach and dragged in a 59.38-pound black drum, and a bunch of drum swam there. Pretty decent numbers of sea bass were pulled from deeper waters. Bay boaters could nab lots of fluke, but “I don’t know how many keepers,” Jimmy said. Darren Martinez fished on the Prowler and lambasted a 13.03-pound fluke. Blues could be hooked in the bay and also swam the rivers. Lots of bass could be played in the rivers at night. Jimmy took a trip to look for weakfish in the rivers, but didn’t fish long, found none, and then had to tow a stranded boat, so he couldn’t make much of an effort to determine whether the trout were in.

Trips on the <b>CRT II</b> concentrated on bay fluke fishing lately, but striped bass fishing was up and down in the ocean, and some days produced well, so the boat is available for striper charters, Capt. Mick said. Sometimes the bass showed up at the Shrewsbury Rocks, sometimes at Seaside, and so on. Mick was away the past few days, but previously his bay charters landed fluke, though keepers were difficult to bag, because of the large size limit. But some keepers to about 4 pounds were always boated. Plenty of space is available for charters, especially in July.

<b>Highlands</b>

Twenty-six striped bass to 36 pounds were whaled on a trip Tuesday evening with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, and only five striped bass to 28 pounds were reeled in on a trip Wednesday, but 12 of the fish to 27 pounds were already whacked by 9 a.m. on a trip today, Capt. Derek, who gave this report from the waters at the time, said. His anglers swam live bunker or dunked bunker chunks for the catches at different places in the ocean. So striper fishing was still on, despite the lateness of the season, and Fisher Price will stick with the fishing either until mid July or until the bite drops off, and dates remain for charters in July. Derek’s charters always chase stripers, the biggest ones of the year, in the ocean until that time. The fish can be difficult for private boaters to find, unless they fish every day or talk with people who do, but the Fisher Price crew sails for linesiders daily, keeping track of them.

<b>Neptune</b>

Trips with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> competed in Mako Mania and the Jersey Coast Shark Anglers Tournament over the weekend, and the anglers caught makos each day, but none big enough to win, Capt. Ralph said in an e-mail. Last Tuesday a charter hammered two makos 285 pounds and 200 pounds and would’ve won it all. Makos are in, and book now. Bluefish finally turned on, and trips are available, and fluke fishing was very good with Last Lady on most days. Two 7-pounders were the biggest so far, and some decent-sized sea bass were mixed in, and the fluke and sea bass gave up lots of action. Striped bass fishing was the worst in 10 years, and some big ones were around, but “don’t believe what you read,” Ralph said. A bunch of yellowfin tuna to 80 pounds were trolled, and book canyon tuna trips ASAP. Inshore individual-reservation trips are fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday, and the season’s first canyon open-boat trip sails July 29 to 30.

<b>Belmar</b>

Ocean fluke fishing was starting to improve, and some big ones including 9-½-pounders and 10-½-pounders got wrenched in, said Capt. Chris from the <b>Big Mohawk</b>. The boat fished anywhere from 20 to 60 feet off Elberon and Long Branch, and sea bass were mixed in. Many of the fluke jumped on jigs like Spros. Spearing and squid are provided for bait, and the Big Mohawk is fluke fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Bluefishing was about as good as could be both day and night on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, Capt. Greg said. During the daytime, sometimes the schools showed up closer to shore, sometimes way offshore, and jigs nailed the slammers, but sometimes bait scored. On night trips catches were usually huge. Awesome, Greg said. Striped bass fishing was hot and cold, and when the linsiders were there, they were there. Patrons got into a blitz of big stripers Friday that was included in the last report. 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.

Catches of bluefish were excellent on daytime and nighttime charters on the 77-foot <b>Bandit</b>, Capt. Scotty said. The 4- to 12-pounders were jigged 5 ½ to 17 miles from shore and were chummed farther offshore at the Mudhole. A bottom-fishing charter will sail for ling Saturday, and ling fishing was pretty good on previous charters in 140 to 220 feet. Patrons filled half-buckets to full buckets with the hake.

An open-boat shark trip Wednesday had no luck, and only bluefish bit, although waters were a good temp and looked attractive, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Nan Sea J</b>. Those are the breaks, and the annual, open trips are sailing every Wednesday through July, a great opportunity to hunt the monsters without having to charter the whole boat. Nan Sea J is one of the few charters that offers open shark trips, and shark charters are also available, and sharking is Tom’s favorite fishing. The boat also fished for fluke and blues, and fluking was so-so in the ocean, and bluefishing was excellent. Fluking produced lots of shorts but also keepers at the hills and hard bottom in 50 to 60 feet. The blues were banged 12 miles offshore on both jigs and bait.

Lots of fluke covered the bottom in the back of Shark River, but shorts probably outnumbered keepers 20 to 1, said John from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. But one of the party boats returned yesterday with a pretty decent catch of fluke, including a couple of 5-pounders, from the ocean. A few striped bass were taken from the surf at Deal yesterday. Ocean boaters locally didn’t find many stripers but mostly caught blues. Party boat bluefishing was good every day. Catch the store’s Shark River Fluke Tournament on July 11 through 13. Twenty percent of entrance fees will be donated to the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund, and the rest goes to the anglers with the top three fluke. Entry is only $40 per boat, limited to four anglers per vessel.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>Fish Monger Charters</b> competed in both Mako Mania and Mako Fever over the weekend, but “not so good for us,” Capt. Jerry Postorino said in an e-mail. A dusky was landed 40 minutes after the crew set up. Then there was no action a while. A small mako attacked baits, and a thresher shark was seen. A whale, porpoises and sea turtles showed up. But “didn’t get the one we were looking for,” he said. “That’s fishing.” Fish Monger will shark fish again this coming weekend. Also, the time is here: 12-hour, open-boat Fluke Marathons, targeting <i>big fluke</i> at the rocks and reefs, where the doormats live, begin next Thursday, departing 6 a.m. Call to reserve. The fishing is BYOB—bring your own bucktail—and the bucktails and big strip baits will be the favorite. Spro-style bucktails from 3 to 6 ounces are the usual size, and braid is recommended. Bring lunch and dinner on the all-day trips. Jerry is a veteran mate on local boats including Belmar’s Bandit, and he and his partner launched Fish Monger Charters this year and have been reporting good catches.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Bluefish boiled all over the surface yesterday, and catches were awesome on the <b>Sea Devil</b>, Cindy said in an e-mail. Catches were just as great the day before, and the bite had improved by then, even though it had already been good the past 10 days. The slammers bit from the moment the boat anchored until the hook was pulled. Jigs stuck the 6- to 12-pounders, and a 13-pounder was biggest. Both the DePiano gang of three anglers and the group of Scott Morongell, Mike Luforgia and Tyler Kinney limited out early and then played catch and release with 15 or more apiece. George Moran, who bailed the fish onboard last week, and Peter Moran caught and released so many on this trip that they couldn’t keep track of the number.  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.

Fluke fishing was a little slow on open-boat trips, but a charter scored well on the flatfish today, said Karen from the <b>Norma K Fleet</b>. The 18-inch size limit was the issue, but the open-boat patrons sometimes grabbed big ones, including some 7-pounders and an 8-pounder, and a 9-pounder led the monthly pool, if Karen remembered correctly. Open-boat bluefishing trips produced amazing catches of 5- to 10-pounders, tons of the fish. The 95-foot Norma K III is running open trips for fluke twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and for bluefish daily 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. The Norma K II and Miss Norma K, both 75 feet, are available for charters and sometimes run open trips when crowds overflow on weekends.

Some big striped bass were coming in, and everyone who boated the ocean usually landed three, four or five, and tons of bunker schooled, said Rob Sr. from <b>Gates Bait & Tackle</b>. Fish to 55 pounds swam, and maybe somebody would catch a record. Friends drilled six or seven stripers from Asbury Park to Long Brach on every trip. A couple of hours before sunrise seemed the ticket for the linesiders, and once boat traffic started, bites slowed. Surf sharpies also beached the fish before sunrise, mostly on bait, and bunker was first choice, and clam was second, but popper plugs also worked, and so did metal or other lures, but, again, only early. Ocean fluke fishing seemed to improve, and fluking at Manasquan Inlet was almost impossible because of weeds. Inlet anglers could hardly drop a rig in the waters without weeds fouling the line. Nothing was heard about fishing at Point Pleasant Canal, and everyone seemed to fish the ocean from boats or the surf. Out-of-season blackfish had been caught and released previously at the canal. The bottom fishing boats apparently came back with good numbers of ling and a few cod. The Gates Motel, located on the grounds, is open full time and is popular with anglers. They stay the night to avoid early or late drives before or after trips on the local boats, or they visit simply for a fishing vacation. Both the motel and the tackle shop are located within walking distance of the charter and party boat fleet, Manasquan Inlet and the surf.

Striped bass fishing was off and on among bunker schools in the ocean, said Brian from <b>Fisherman’s Supply</b>. Fluke fishing in the ocean and Manasquan River mostly seemed slow, because of cold waters. Fluke anglers on the river seemed stacked up in the channel on the northern part of the river, but Brian bet they might’ve fared better if they tried the southern end of the channel, like near the store. He kept seeing a few kayakers return there every day, and maybe they were onto something. On the party boat <b>Voyager</b>, docked at the shop, Dave Arbeitman, owner of The Reel Seat in Brielle, put together a charter that made up the boat’s weekly tilefish trip Sunday, normally an open-boat trip. But Dave and friends, many veteran tilefishers, but also first-timers, filled the boat this time. The catch ended up good, even if the crew had to work to find the bite at first. Mike Paras, who was high hook on a trip a couple of weeks ago, was again high hook, bagging eight tiles to 28 pounds. Mike Saulley won the pool with a 44-pounder. Allan Sherman, who scored two double-headers, and Tony Puzzo each took seven. Quite a few of the anglers landed four, five or six. When the trip arrived at the canyon, winds 5 to 10 knots blew with the current, making the drift a bit fast, a little faster than one knot. The crew tried a few spots that produced last year, with poor results, and only one 25-pounder came up. The boat started sailing 10 minutes away, and a few trolling lures were dropped in the waters, and John Tzannes nailed a 50-pound yellowfin tuna. The vessel stopped at a proven tilefish area, and the anglers started to pick the fish, while the boat drifted almost a knot.  Two dozen of the fish were boated, and the boat slid off the grounds, returned for another drift, and currents began to ease. Then two drifts produced very good fishing an hour each, and 60 tiles from 15 to 43 pounds were belted. Eventually conditions deteriorated, with winds blowing 90 degrees against the current, and the lines screamed to the stern, and the anglers fought through tangles. Open-boat tilefishing trips are running every Sunday night, and spots are available on most, and check the schedule on the boat’s web site for availability and info. Open fluke trips are running twice daily, and open, nighttime bluefish trips are sailing on certain days.

<b>Toms River</b>

Ocean temperatures dropped as low as 54 degrees a couple of days ago, although northwest winds must’ve bumped them up a bit yesterday, and boaters there still caught striped bass, but trolling became better than fishing with bunker, and the stripers swam deeper than before, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Bunker spoons and Mann Stretch Plugs got attention. Surf casters beached blues and bass, mostly blues in the last couple of days. A few schools of stripers pushed along the suds at Seaside’s Casino Pier yesterday but refused to bite. In Barnegat Bay fluke fishing wasn’t great but did produce some keepers at the BI marker and Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels, mostly on spearing and squid combos. Two-pound blues were trolled around the BB and 40 markers. Tiny snapper blues, too small to be taken on hook and line, swam around, and should grow large enough to be hooked in two or three weeks. Very few weakfish turned up but sometimes were sandwormed in the bay at Berkeley Island Park. Crabbing took off after last week’s full moon and was great. Handlines and traps both caught, and it didn’t matter. Overnight pots got loaded with the blueclaws, and Dennis nabbed catches in two overnighters, and more than half of the hardshells were keepers. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, minnows and all the frozen baits are fully stocked.

<b>Seaside</b>

The unexpected, deep drop in water temps seemed to be returning to normal by yesterday, and although temps varied a lot, waters in the low 60s were probably common, and summer conditions were probably about to kick in, so get out and fish while the spring run of striped bass still lingered, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web site. Bunker still schooled all over, and boaters and kayakers walloped striped bass that fed on them, and when the menhaden moved into the surf, beach anglers scored. Pencil poppers and swimming plugs were probably a good bet in the suds. Boaters and kayakers weighed in stripers 20, 30, 40 and even close to 50 pounds in the past several days. A few bass from 10 to 20 pounds were checked in from the surf. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Waretown</b>

A 25-pound striped bass was pinned down and two others got off while anglers snagged and dropped bunker off Lavallette yesterday with <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. John said. Stripers could be seen feeding on pods of bunker that schooled, and no bluefish showed up. So stripers and bunker kept moving along the ocean beaches, and Perfect Drift will keep chasing them and also fluke. So far, the boat sailed for fluke on Barnegat Bay, and shorts outnumbered keepers in a big way. But trips will search for the flatties in the ocean, where bigger ones might come up, when ocean temps rise and turn on the bite. Fluking is a main game for Perfect Drift through summer, but oceanfront striper fishing is on the menu while the action lasts, and trips will also run to Barnegat Ridge for bluefishing and fishing for bonito through the warm months.

Bluefish 8 to 10 pounds were chased at Barnegat Ridge on the <b>Tuna-Tic</b>, and the catch was decent, though the fishing was spotty, Capt. Mike said. He was thinking that a trip today might wreckfish instead. But bluefish trips were also slated for the next two days. The inshore trips were running a moment until the vessel’s annual, three-day, open-boat, canyon tuna trips kick off on July 7. Many of the trips are full, but a few spots remain.

Three anglers on deck ran into a foaming mess of 20- to 30-pound striped bass crashing bunker in the ocean off Lavallette this morning on the <b>Hi Flier</b>, Capt. Dave DeGennaro said in an e-mail. Six of the fish were boated, and two were released, and all bit live bunker snagged from the schools and fished on sinker rigs. Yesterday two anglers were aboard, and bunker were snagged and dropped all day, but nothing was caught. That’s how it goes, Dave said, and today he was armed with the most important part of any trip: information. He heard about the fish and that waters to the north were 62 degrees while the temps off Barnegat Inlet were 58 ½. Dave also picked up a batch of live grass shrimp from Bobby’s Boat Rentals after today’s trip and looked around for early season weakfish but with no takers. But the mainland side of the bay was the right temperature, 75 degrees, and weakfishing should begin any day, and he’ll keep looking until it does. The boat is booked tomorrow and Monday but available over the weekend and afterward if anyone wants to hit the bunker pods. The boat leaves port at 4:30 a.m. and fishes 5 to 8 hours, depending on the charter’s preference.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Striped bass pounced on big pencil poppers in the surf at night and in the early mornings, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. More and more fluke were moving into the surf, and bucktails with a minnow or a rubber curly tail drew the strikes. Rumors about kingfish in the suds flew around, but no confirmed catches were heard about. Ocean boaters continued to peg down big striped bass that fed on bunker schools both north and south. Bluefish at Barnegat Inlet now seemed a little smaller than before, like 5- to 8-pounds, swallowing everything from metal to bunker. Fluke were pulled from Barnegat Bay, and one angler took a shot at early season weakfish in the bay, found no weaks, but ended up hooking small, schoolie striped bass on the bucktails. Weaks usually move in by mid July. Sea bass and sometimes fluke could be reeled aboard in 50 to 70 feet. Nothing was heard about Barnegat Ridge, like about bluefishing there. Thresher sharks could be battled in the ocean, and a few makos could be found at spots like the Fingers. Yellowfin tuna were boated from the Spencer to the Wilmington canyons. Live spots, eels, minnows, fresh bunker, fresh clams and all the frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Manahawkin</b>

An 18-1/2-pound bluefish was checked in that was boated at Barnegat Ridge, said Dave from <b>American Sportsman Bait & Tackle</b>. The ridge was a place to go for blues, and a few striped bass were hooked near Holgate either on the troll or on bunker that boaters snagged and dropped. Some hefty fluke to 6 and 8 pounds came from the bay at the Fish Factory. The bay’s weakfishing usually begins toward mid July. Crabbing started to pick up, and southern waters, like around Tuckerton and Mystic Island,  produced better than northern. Minnows, plenty of Gulps, frozen squid including big trolling ones to 12 inches, and other frozen baits including spearing, bunker, mullet, mackerel and chum are stocked. Special pricing is available on bulk baits, such as full- and half-bushels of live clams, available by order. The store will hold a sale on ice during the Fourth of July weekend from Friday through Sunday, offering 5 percent off on two bags, 10 percent on three, 15 percent on four and 20 percent on five. Sounds like the place to load up.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

Fluke trips started fishing daily, no longer just on weekends, yesterday on the <b>Miss Beach Haven</b> for the summer, Capt. Frank said. But when he gave this report, he didn’t know yet how the fishing went that day, because he didn’t run the trip. But the boat switched to fluking last weekend, after sailing for sea bass previously, and Frank gave updates about the weekend’s bite in a couple of e-mails. On Saturday some good-sized fluke were boated, just enough keepers to keep interest. Even Frank dropped a line and bagged two keepers, released throwbacks including ones that would’ve been keepers last year, and some quality sea bass. “The fluke must’ve been thick if I got two,” Frank joked. Ted Alves won the pool with a 5-pounder, and John Cheseman’s 8-pounder, caught during exploratory fluke drifts the previous weekend, when the boat was mostly sea bassing, still led the season-long pool. On Sunday water temps dropped to 61 degrees, and fluking was slow in poor conditions, with winds against the tide, and 8- to 10-ounce weights barely held bottom. A few keeper fluke and sea bass were landed, and John Cheseman nabbed a 4-pound fluke. “Still, in all, it was great to be out on the water, away from it all, and enjoying life,” Frank said. The Miss Beach Haven is sailing for fluke 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 12 noon Mondays and Tuesdays and 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Bay flounder fishing was probably the best bet, and local striped bass fishing was pretty much finished, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. If flounder fishers wanted action and fun, like if taking kids, the clam stakes on the Mystic Island side of the Fish Factory would produce the most catches, though practically no keepers. The number of keepers was better, though the overall number of flatties was lower, around the 134 marker in Great Bay. Fishing for keepers had improved a week or 10 days ago, but now the bigger fish were apparently plucked out or caught. Most striped bass could now be found in the ocean far north, beyond Barnegat Light. Resident stripers might’ve been able to be plugged in the bay around the Coast Guard Station at the end of Great Bay Boulevard after dark, mostly a land-based fishery, not a boat one. Very little was heard about weakfish catches. Rutgers researches landed a few weakfish as part of research they were doing, but they were literally working for the fish, spending hours per day searching for them, and occasionally connecting. So weakfishing couldn’t really be called a viable fishery. Nobody reported fishing for the sizeable brown sharks and sandsharks that enter the bay at this time of year, but it’s time. One customer showed Scott film footage from a phone or something of a brown shark seen at one of the reefs, and if the browns were there, they’re probably in the bay. The bay shark fishery is a traditional fishery every summer that’s a great opportunity to fight the beasts without having to sail offshore. Anglers anchor at Grassy Channel from dusk to 10:30 p.m. through sometime in August, send out filleted mackerel baits on wire leaders and hold on, hoping for fish like brown sharks to 90 pounds to put up a battle. Scott’s sells rigs specifically made for the shark fishing and a 1-gallon chum ball that’s perfect. Scott thought anglers would probably give the fishing a try this Friday evening. Nothing else was heard about the reef fishing except the news about the brown shark filmed. Nobody mentioned white perch fishing up the rivers, and the slabs probably moved to deeper waters in the rivers by this time. Local crabbing was great, kicked into high gear, no matter where, and was a good fall-back plan for anglers. Minnows, fresh clams, live eels and live grass shrimp, a favorite bait for perch, are stocked. No bloodworms were carried at the moment, and the supply of bloods was becoming spotty. The crew at Scott’s was already gearing up for next week’s Fourth of July holiday.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

A tuna trip trolled yellowfins to 70 pounds, some good fish, at the tip of Wilmington Canyon with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> yesterday, Capt. T.J. said. Waters were 74 degrees, and T.J. heard about marlin caught in the area. The eddie looked like it would stick around a week, and tuna charters are available. A charter ran for bluefish to Barnegat Ridge on Monday and cleaned up on 43 of the fish while chumming.

<b>Port Republic</b>

Weakfish started to be caught from the Mullica River, said Mary Ann from <b>Chestnut Neck Boat Yard</b>. Blues kept getting pulled from throughout Great Bay, and boaters who flounder fished boxed two or three keepers on a bay trip. White perch always bite in the river. Crabbing was good, and nothing was heard about striped bass fishing lately. Shedder crabs, the favorite weakfish bait, are stocked, and so are minnows for flounder fishing. Bloodworms, a sure bet for perch bites, are carried, and spearing and other frozen baits are on hand.  

<b>Absecon</b>

Tons of flounder, some of them big, filled the bay, said Joe from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. A mess of shorts also bit, but the ratio improved a little. John Scott latched into an 8.95-pounder from the jetty at Absecon Inlet. Blues, 1- to 3-pounders, good-eating size, were thick, and a bunch kept blitzing on spearing in the bay. A few weakfish swam the bay and sucked down shedder crabs. Ocean striped bass fishing was really the best angling, and big ones chased bunker schools. About 15 of them from 25 to 35 pounds were weighed in through the week. Surf anglers also landed them at times. Live spots, live eels, shedder crabs, fresh bunker, fresh clams and all the frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Capt. Tom from the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> took a crew trip and walloped more than 20 yellowfin tuna to 75 pounds at Wilmington Canyon at the 100-fathom line on Monday, he said. There were multiple bites, and probably three times as many fish short-struck, and three bigeye tuna also came up. One of the bigeyes got hooked, but there was never even a chance to crank the reel before it dumped line and got off. The waters were some of the dirtiest Tom ever saw give up fish, and visibility was only 5 feet down, and the area held a 2-1/2-degree temperature break, and the bites came from the colder side.  So tuna fishing was on, and canyon charters are available. Plenty of bluefin tuna swam closer to shore in 20 to 30 fathoms, and charters are also available to chunk, troll or jig them. The crew just got a brand new set of jigging rods that Tom was eager to fish. The boat is also fishing inshore for big bluefish that were going wild at Barnegat Ridge and deep-water flounder that were now hitting bucktails in the ocean.

The surf was loaded with kingfish, and bloodworms got more nibbles than FishBites artificial worms did, because waters were a little cold, said Chris from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers along the jetties started to hook triggerfish and also caught and released out-of-season tog, including big ones, like a 10-pounder that was let go. One angler at Absecon Inlet whacked a 43-pound striped bass Tuesday. Surf fishers sometimes still banked a few striped bass, including a 36-pounder and a 22-pounded checked in Saturday. Boaters found bass among bunker schools in the ocean but mostly up north. Live spots tricked up stripers along the sod banks of the bay, and stripers were also lifted from the waters around the bridges. Lots of flounder flooded the bay, and many were shorts, but keepers were around. John Kunicki muscled in an 11-pounder from the Intracoastal Waterway on a Gulp.

About 30 or 40 flounder were rustled up on each trip on the bay, and three, four, five or occasionally six were keepers, said Capt. Joe from the <b>Fish Finder II</b>. Some big ones were nailed again this week. Bill Nordling smacked a 10.7-pounder on a large, 1-ounce bucktail with a Gulp, and Chuck Tate took down an 8.5-pounder on a big bucktail with a strip of squid. An 11-pounder was drilled last week. The biggest flatties hammered 1-ounce bucktails with a strip bait like mackerel or a large piece of squid. Anglers couldn’t score as much action on the bucktails, but the bucktails gave the best chance for a keeper. The crew chummed with bunker while flounder fishing, and lately two or three striped bass were hooked per trip, maybe because of the chum. The stripers were shorts, but a 26-incher was caught and released today, and a 21-incher was let go yesterday. Squid, minnows, spearing and mackerel are supplied for bait, and the Fish Finder II is sailing for flounder twice daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

A 47-1/2-pound striped bass was weighed in that was boated in the ocean off Brigantine on a snagged bunker, said Capt. Jon from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. A customer named “Reds” landed the fish, and stripers were sometimes taken on bunker snagged from schools of the menhaden, but the boaters had to hunt, fishing a pod of the baitfish and moving on to the next one until success. Early mornings, before first light, and late afternoons were best. Another customer on the Get ‘er Done slammed a 301-pound thresher shark within 20 miles of shore. A good number of threshers fed on the bunker schools. Flounder swam the back bay, and many were shorts, but keepers could be found, and the boaters who fished every few days were the ones who really connected. A few 26- or 27-inchers were drilled off Harrah’s, and a 29-incher was taken there today. Kingfish bit around the surf jetties, some days better than on others. Barnegat Ridge was loaded with blues, and that’s where the winning fish came from during the weekend’s Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament. The <b>Carly A</b>, Jon’s offshore charter boat, competed in the tournament like every year, and he said 65 boats were entered, and a 15-pounder was the biggest blue. Normally a 10-pounder ensures a spot someplace in the Top 10, but this year the 10th fish was something like 14 pounds. The Carly A will undergo maintenance about one more week before starting to fish offshore, and fish were already biting, but the season was early. A few school bluefin tuna, but no big ones yet, showed up 12 to 21 miles from land. Farther offshore, yellowfin and bigeye tuna were trolled at the east notch of Wilmington Canyon through Sunday and Monday. But a mess of boats sailed there and to Spencer Canyon yesterday, and the warm eddie seemed to be moving east, and fishing wasn’t as good. The weather was supposed to blow this weekend, so that should put a halt to the fishing a moment. The boat Bigeye fished the area and went 1 for 2 on blue marlin and scored a couple of tuna. The Dough Boy from Brigantine got into four tuna and a mahi, and the Tail Dancer went 4 for 6 on tuna. A surprising number of boats fished the blue waters already, good to see, especially after all the talk about fuel prices and the economy. 

<b>Margate</b>

Eleven short flounder to 16 ½ inches were caught and released on a trip on Lakes Bay on Tuesday, said Capt. Dave from <b>Fine Line Fishing Charters</b>. Waters were cold, and the area off the harbor was 58 degrees, and Lakes Bay was 65 degrees, the warmest spot Dave found. He took a look in the ocean and also found 58-degree waters. But he was looking forward to the ocean warming, so the flatbacks would start biting there, where the chances of boating keepers were better, especially with the year’s larger size limit. Dave’s anglers fished with minnows and squid on a single-hooked fish-finder rig, and they preferred to dead stick the baits, but working the baits up and down 2 feet makes a difference on the bay. When Fine Line moves to the ocean, the swells create the up and down action, so the rods can be dead sticked. Charters concentrate on flounder fishing through summer, but eventually they’ll also troll the inshore ocean for blues, bonito and such fish.

<b>Longport</b>

Sea bass fishing was tough by now, producing loads of small ones, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. That’s typical for this time of year, so the boat will finish out the week with sea bassing, and afterward the crew will probably pull the boat from the waters, do some maintenance next week, and launch tuna trips the following week, shifting the focus offshore. Sea bassing wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t up to the crew’s standards, so it was time to change. Some flounder, but lots of shorts, were pulled up, and only two keepers that just made the size limit were bagged this week. The year’s large size limit was a killer. Open-boat trips were sailing Thursdays and Sundays, and charters were running the rest of the week. The tuna fishing will take place on both open trips and charters, hitting both the middle grounds or spots like the 40-fathom Fingers and the canyons toward the Continental Shelf. Tuna trips needed to go the distance, and few of the fish swam closer to shore. Call to reserve spots on the open trips before they’re gone and to confirm the schedule.

<b>Somers Point</b>

Good flounder catches were reeled from the bay over the weekend, said Wayne from <b>My Bait & Tackle</b>. Jack Ingersoll tackled a 24-inch 5.01-pounder off Kennedy Park on a minnow, and Carmine Rossi nailed a 24-1/2-inch 5-pounder at Rainbow Channel on a minnow and squid combo. More than 100 anglers participated in the Brutus Fluke Tournament on Saturday, and the store was the weigh-in station. Al Rocks took first place with a 28-inch, 7-pound 9-ouncer he hauled up behind Ocean City.  The Egg Harbor Township Elks Lodge and the Somers Point VFW sponsored the event. Minnows, shedder crabs, bloodworms and all the frozen baits are fully stocked, and fresh bunker is expected to arrive any day.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Lots of kingfish bit in the surf on bloodworms or artificial worms, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Striped bass turned on in the suds at the north end of the island yesterday morning, when bunker schooled tight to the beach. Boaters bagged striped bass in the ocean but had to search hard for the bunker schools with bass underneath. The stripers they caught were a little smaller than lunkers common farther north toward Long Beach Island. Flounder were pulled from Rainbow Channel and around the Longport Bridge, and basically from the bridge to the first turn buoy and beyond. A few blues roamed the AC Ridge, but Barnegat Ridge South was the place to fight slammers like 13- or 15-pounders. Local blues seemed 4 to 6 pounds. Little was heard about shark fishing, but boaters fishing the reefs kept seeing thresher sharks. Wilmington and Baltimore canyons served up yellowfin tuna, and John heard about a decent catch of bluefin tuna, fair-sized ones 52 to 55 inches, from the 19-Fathom Lump.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Bottom fishing for sea bass was now producing lots of small ones, so fishing for keepers was slow, but a few ling were bagged, and lots of out-of-season blackfish were caught and released, and porgies, also out of season, were also reeled in and let go, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Starfish</b>.  A 9-pound blackfish was hooked and sent back, and some of the porgies were also big, like a 14- or 15-inch pie plate that a customer decked the other day. Trips will switch to flounder fishing in the ocean when the flatties turn on there, and weakfish will also be hunted when the trout arrive along the beaches. The Starfish is bottom fishing twice daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Bottom trips are also running 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday.

Kingfish jumped all over the surf, biting bloodworms, FishBites worms and Gulp worms—they all worked—said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. A few, few striped bass still got beached in the suds on bunker or clams, and the striper fishing was thinning out. Fluke, maybe to 3 or 4 pounds, could also be jigged in the surf in the shallows, 3 feet of water, so anglers needed to stay out of the waters, and not wade. They also needed to fish with finesse, using a light rod to work the jigs effectively, and fluorocarbon. Hardware like swivels or top-and-bottom rigs had to be avoided. Just use a jig on a line, old-fashioned fishing. That’s how to catch, and catch well. Lots of fluke, lots of shorts, filled the bay, but the fishing was worthwhile. Big minnows were best baits, and mackerel, squid or Gulps were second best. A few stripers could sometimes be hooked in the bay on bucktails at dawn and dusk, and anglers were waiting for fishing for them with poppers to turn on like it usually does in summer. That fishing might’ve been starting late but will kick in. A few fluke and some blues could be caught at the inlet, and sometimes bunker schooled the inlet. Fluke started to bite in the ocean in 60 or 70 feet and also 40 or 50 feet, around the wrecks and reefs. Some sea bass and a few out-of-season tog also bit there.

Two mahi mahi to 15 pounds and a 60-pound yellowfin tuna were put to a halt at Wilmington Canyon on a trip Monday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. The fish grabbed an Islander-skirted ballyhoo and a rainbow squid spreader bar. A mystery bite was also lost that appeared to come from a blue marlin, and the leader was chaffed high up. The dolphin and apparent marlin came from the warm side of a good edge of 72.5- to 74.2-degree waters, and the tuna attacked on the cold side. A blue marlin 400 pounds or larger was seen on a free jump in the area on the trip. Closer to home, high tides will coincide with dawn and dusk at the end of the month next week in the back bay, and Joe was looking forward to the ideal conditions for striped bass fishing. His bay charters specialize in fishing for the linesiders with popper lures and flies through summer, and the action was a little late to take off this year, but anytime now.

<b>Wildwood</b>

A mess of flounder hovered in the bay, and rental boaters scored all right catches, said Josh from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. A bunch of the fish were throwbacks, but keepers were mixed in, and one or two would get bagged on a day out. Crabbing was picking up and started to take off after last week’s full moon, and one customer returned with 36 of the blueclaws. Striped bass could be hooked at night along the lights at the bridges and docks. Black Bombers or other dark lures and bucktails fooled them. Small peanut bunker were beginning to appear, and if the striper anglers could fish them or other live baits along the lights, that worked best. Canal Side carries a full selection of baits including minnows, squid, salted clams, mullet, mackerel and anything else needed for fishing the local area. A full line of rods, reels and fishing gear is also stocked. All crabbing supplies, including six types of traps, are on hand. Canal Side rents canopy boats for fishing and crabbing and also kayaks.

Sea bass and flounder were hooked in the ocean on the <b>Adventurer</b>, and lots of the fish were shorts, and the last week of June and first week of July are typically an in-between period, and waters were cold, Capt. Gary said. Flounder fishing will eventually pick up as waters warm, and eventually a mixed bag of fish including flounder, sea bass, croakers and blues will be a mainstay in summer. One trip tried flounder fishing in Delaware Bay, where the boat will sometimes chase the flatties, if the fishing is better there, and some shorts and one keeper were landed. So that area was no better, though the keeper was a 26-inch 8-pounder, a big one.  Trips are bottom fishing 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and the season’s first nighttime bluefishing trip will sail 6 p.m. to 12 midnight Saturday.

<b>Cape May</b>

Delaware Bay flounder were the target on the <b>Sea Star</b>, and the fishing was mostly slow, giving up a few shorts and a few keepers, Capt. Bob said. One angler on Sunday bagged three keepers to 4 pounds, and Bob Keyes latched into a 3-pounder the other day, and yesterday’s fishing was slow. “It’s been back and forth,” he said, and trips mostly drifted along the shipping channel. A few small weakfish, none to speak about, showed up, and a handful of kingfish bit. The boat was also running charters for drum on the bay, and drum continued to bite, and charters were still available, though drumfishing will come to an end soon. Fishing for drum was the best in 30 years, and lots of big, 70-, 80- and 90-pounders were nailed. The Sea Star is sailing for flounder 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Squid and cut bait are supplied, and some anglers brought their own baits like minnows, spearing or worms, but squid and cut bait worked best on the boat at the moment.

A charter, the Jeff Mosher group, trolled blues to 5 pounds all day yesterday at lumps just offshore of Cape May Reef, said Capt. Rob from <b>First Cast Sport Fishing</b>. Lots hit, including on multiple hook-ups, and the day was beautiful, and water temps dropped to 70 degrees, three degrees lower than on Saturday. Lots of Spanish mackerel swam the area before temperatures dropped, but a warm front was coming, and maybe they’d return. Some king mackerel were also fought when the temps were higher, and Rob also knew about a cobia that was taken. Drumfish incredibly kept biting in Delaware Bay, and Rob did no fishing for them, but he’s up for drum charters, but anglers better go now, because the boomers could depart any day. He was surprised they stuck around this long, and the drum season was the best he’d ever seen. First Cast also fished for sharks on a bunch of trips that were reported last time, and sharking will continue on the vessel. Brown sharks were abundant, and plenty of threshers haunted the area, and Rob even saw threshers on the bluefish trip yesterday. He didn’t get the anglers, tourists, to pitch baits to the beasts, and that would’ve been a bit much! Bluefin tuna were already swimming the inshore ocean, early for them to arrive, and the canyons were giving up yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi. Charters for all these fish are available, and so are flounder and bottom-fishing trips.

<b>Daisy May Sport Fishing</b> flounder fished in the ocean during the weekend, and winds against the tide made difficult fishing, but a couple of fish were managed, Capt. Dave said. Charters will keep fishing the deep for flounder, but trips will also switch gears and start running for tuna both inshore and offshore on Fourth of July weekend. Warm, fish-holding waters stretched from 5-Fathom Bank to the canyons.

Drum kept getting boated through this evening on Delaware Bay, said Frank from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Surf fishing mostly tapered off, and sharks entered the waters, but a few weaks sucked down floated bloodworms along the jetties, and one angler said he smoked seven from 24 to 28 inches at Alexander Avenue. Flounder gathered along the channel in the back bay, but the size limit made creeling a keeper difficult. One boated reeled in 37 including one keeper. Nick from the shop fished for flounder near the Dollar Bridge when a striper ran off with his squid bait. Fresh-shucked clams are stocked, and so are fresh bunker, minnows, shedder crabs and the full range of frozen baits.

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