If the reports I have been seeing are correct, it looks like we are finally falling into the summer pattern that most anglers have been looking for. It has been a good but difficult year with the effects of Sandy still haunting us and strange weather patterns making fishing more of a hunting expedition on many days. I have said it before and it bears repeating, the anglers best friend is consistency. Knowing where the fish should be is a big part of the game. And with the high price of fuel, no one wants to spend excess time and gas trying to track down their prey. The fishing has been good so far but it could get a lot better if conditions hold up and we finish out on a high not. Let’s see what our scouts on site have to say about the near future On the Water.

From the looks of the reports I have been seeing from Captain Pete Sykes of Parker Pete Sport fishing in Belmar, he is on the fish and has no intention of letting them off easy. His most recent trip with Matthew Mateyak and Tom Daly was certainly no fluke. Bucktailing produced flat fish up to seven pounds with several members of the charter hitting the limit. Not a bad day at all. And fishing off the the new 35’foot Donelle makes it almost unfair to the fish. We are talking one sweet boat. Enough fishing space to get up a quick game of volleyball if the bite cools off. I have fished off that boat and can tell you it makes for a great day. Check it out if you get the chance.

It’s been a long haul for Captain Rich Wilkowski and the crew at the Jersey Hooker Bait and Charter Service in Brick. Sandy knocked them for a loop but could not put them out of the game. The boat is up and running and the store is better than ever. The Captain messaged me to tell me that there has been a nice bite on the jig for Bluefin Tuna at the Chicken Canyon. The Cap is recommending Tady Lures West Coast Iron Jigs for the best action. That’s good enough for me. He also asked me to pass along an open boat opportunity for anyone looking to get out this weekend. He had a charter cancelled due to a clients family emergency and will be running an open boat trip on Sat/Sun this week. Call captain Rich for details at 732-688-8804. I would act fast as those spots will disappear on a boat with the Hookers reputation for putting their clients on the fish.

I received a message from Zuback’s Marine in Morgan. If there is another marina that got hit harder by Super storm Sandy than these guys, please point them out to me. After nine months, they finally got the old damaged pilings out and the new ones are going in. All 64 of them! So I have been looking for dock space close to the Raritan, give them a shout. I know it has been tight up that way. Fluking has been good in the bay and crabbing has been on the upswing.

New to our team of scouts is the Celtic Stoirm out of Belmar. Brothers Mike and Gary Bouchard captain the 38’ Henriques Flybridge. Powered by twin turbo charged Caterpillar engines, the Celtic Stoirm is capable of getting you to any fishing grounds and doing so in comfort and with speed. Give them a shout if you get the chance, these guys can fish!

If standing above the water just isn’t enough for you and you prefer diving to meet your quarry then I recommend you look into sailing with the Ol Salty II out of Belmar. With a certified dive staff complimenting their crew, the 62’ Ol Salty will put you on the fish from the top or bottom. This weekend, Captain Mick informed me they are running a dive to the Venturo Tug Wrecks, a two tank dive. For more information or to reserve a spot, call 1-800-836-8862. The Ol Salty is also available for above water fishing charters. It’s the perfect boat when you are looking for something bigger than a 6 pack charter and smaller than the big party or head boat.

Captain Alan Shinn of the Miss Belmar Princess in Belmar has found the bluefish and all indications are that he intends on staying on them. Recent reports have many clients on trips limiting out on fish from 1 to 3 pounds. Not the slammers yet but I am sure they are coming. The Miss Belmar Princess sails twice daily at 7:30 am and pm. And they sail every day. Three engines and 2100 HP will insure they do!

Captain Bobby Quinn and the team of the Ocean Explorer of Belmar fame are at it again. Not satisfied with simply taking their fares out fishing, they have been returning to port with some monster fish on both the jig and dragging bait. Fluke up to 5 pounds have been common with some anglers pulling in even bigger fish. Factor in the occasional blue back sea bass and you have the makings of a great day on a great Atlantic Party Boat. The OE leaves daily at 7:30 am and does accept reservations. Call ahead for at 848-565-0519 and save a spot for your next trip.

Captain Pete Wagner and the crew of Hyper Striper Sportfishing out of Atlantic Highlands have confirmed that the bigger flatfish are finally out front and taking the bait on the inshore wrecks. Recent trips out of Atlantic Highlands have produced fluke up to 7 pounds with a few black sea bass thrown in for good measure. And for some captains, bottom fishing is the only way to go this time of year but Hyper Striper is not a boat that limits itself to what everyone else is doing. There are still stripers in the area and they know where they are hiding and not afraid to show you. The Hyper Striper is a 38’ Henrique Sports fisherman licensed for up to six passengers. From Tuna to Shark to fluke and striper, these are the gang I would consider if I was looking for a top flight team who will fight to find you fish. Give them a call at 732-872-4094 to see about setting up your charter.

Located on the Eastern Banks of the Matawan Creek, Keyport Marine Basin not only offers deep water slips for seasonal dockage but also a convenient boat ramp for you day trippers in the area. Close to Buoy , Reach and Chapel Hill Channels and only 8 miles from Sandy Hook, a better inland location is hard to find. I spoke with Tom at the shop this week and he told me that the fluke bite has moved further towards the front around Sandy Hook. Nick Hutnik brought in a nice 26” flattie which weighed in at just over 6 pounds. Nick caught his doormat on live killies at Sandy Hook. The creek has small snapper blues which can be caught on almost everything, especially small metal. Tom Also told me the crabbing in the area has been nothing short of extraordinary. Next time you are in the Keyport area, stop in and check them out.

Had a nice chat with Captain Steve Spinelli of Skylarker Charters out of Belmar this week. He agrees with me that consistency is one of the most critical elements of summer fishing endeavors. And Steve says tells me the last two weeks have been a return to normalcy as far as the summer patterns go. His charters have been slaying the fluke lately. Fish up to 7 pounds and better have not been uncommon. The normal baits like spearing and squid have been working just fine but chartreuse and especially, Nuclear Chicken Berkeley Gulp Swimming Mullet have been just as productive. For some reason, Steve said the sea bass have been gobbling up the pink Gulp baits. Steve also informed me they have had a great year on the sea bass and with this leg of the season about to close, you need to give them one more shot. Trigger fish on clam has filled in more than a few lulls when they occur, so the cap recommends having some smaller hook (1 -1/0) available if you are targeting triggers.

I’m still trying to get a handle on the offshore bite in the north this year. Much of the activity has been to the south and that means the anglers that can are in that quadrant. So with fewer eyes on the local scene, getting clean reports can be difficult. But I have Dave Arbietman and the crew of the Reel Seat in Brielle as a source and that pays big dividends. As most of you offshore denizens already know, The Reel Seat is one of, if not the, premier shops for all of your offshore equipment. The spreader bars they build there are second to none. Check out their variations on the Mini Green Machine high speed spreader bars next time you are in the shop. Way cool! Anyway, when I talked to Dave this week, he confirmed my suspicions about the northern bite. It’s there but just not as consistent yet. There has been some nice action at the Chicken with several Reel Seat customers bringing in fish up to 148 pounds. Most of the catch there has been on the troll. There have been reports of good days at the Toms as well and further east at the Jones there has been some nice yellow fin activity. Reports of white marlin at the Toms as well. Congrats to Goin In Deep and their 203 pound Big Eye Tuna and their win in the Beach Haven White Marlin Tournament. Job well done.

Here is a little cheat sheet for those of you looking for a six pack charter out of the Belmar area. I am sure there are plenty more out there but these are a few I recommend.

• Last One! 35’ custom Sea Hawk – up to six passengers. Inshore and wreck fishing. (732) 556-7156
• Katie H Sports Fishing 46’ custom Hatteras. Up to six passengers. Inshore and offshore. (908) 600-6413
• XTC Sportfishing 44’ Henriques . Up to six passengers. Inshore and offshore. (732) 616-3763
• Teri Jean II Charters 45’ Hatteras. Up to six passengers. Inshore and offshore. (732)280-7364

If it is a ride on a head boat for some fine fluking on lighter tackle, might I recommend the New Big Mohawk and Captain Chris Hueth? They certainly have been on the fish, as is par for the course with Captain Chris. Most his regulars use lighter tackle and are a bit more experienced in head boat fishing than your standard vacationer. When I spoke to them this week, the fluke were coming over the side two at a time. Chartreuse Gulps from Berkley and lead heads with red swimmers seemed to be the magic baits today. Unlike most others, Captain Chris tends to focus on the fluke bite and fishes mor sandy bottoms than most. So sea bass are a little rarer on the Big Mohawk than some other boats. But the fish seem to be a little bigger to compensate.

I didn’t forget about you freshwater enthusiasts out there and to prove it put a call in to Chris at Harry’s Adventure Outfitters in Robbinsville to get the absolute best information for you. According to Chris, recent rains have cooled the waters and made for some near ideal conditions in almost every local pond and lake. Farrington Lake in North Brunswick has been one notable hot spot. Anglers using Arbogast Jitterbug Lures have been wrecking the bass. Color does not seem to be of consequence. Chris also mentioned Assunpink Lake in Allentown as another hot spot. Pan fish are biting in all of the local repositories as well. Great news. On a side note, I quick shout out to Chris for his new endeavors. Best of luck Chris!

In Point Pleasant I always try to speak with the gang at Reel Life Bait and Tackle to get the low down on local conditions. This week Anthony at the shop tells me that the fluke bite is on consistently of late. Wind turns seem to be the deciding factor. Most areas near wrecks are very productive. One specific named was the Klondike. Hot baits include long squid strips, Berkeley Gulp (the big 5 inch grubs are on fire) and SS Rattle Tails. The mouth of the canal has also had some great fluking. There are snal==peer blues in the area and a little bigger version (1-3 lbs.) on the ocean front. With sea bass season getting ready to shut down for a while, Anthony thinks now is the time to load up the freezer. The Sea Girt Reef has been good as have most of the other wrecks in excess of 60’ of water. Anglers using eels have been having success in the canal for striped bass with fish up to 30 pounds being taken. Crabbing in the area has been better than good. Anthony also asked me to remind you the Jersey Coast Shark Angler fluke tourney is this Saturday and Reel Life, as a sponsor, will be offering some nice discounts to participants. Details will be made available at the Captains meeting on Friday August 2 at the JCSA Club.

Best Bets for the Weekend

Ok, we are getting into the home stretch for summer fishing. This weekend is the last weekend for black sea bass until the end of September, so if you are looking for some for the freezer now is the time to have at it. The season actually closes on August 8th but this is the last weekend. The fluke bite has been more consistent than it has been all summer in the north so that combination works out well. Blues are starting to show up in better numbers but unless you head out really east, look for a lot in the 1-4 pound range. Great light tackle fare. Offshore in the north can be a hit or miss proposition but there is action out there, you just have to find it. The beaches are doing well on spot, small blues and of course, fluke. The striper bite seems to be best at night right now but that will change soon enough. If you are looking for some fresh water action, it is all over the place. The best bite is bass, small top waters seem to be working in clear water and frog imitators in the grassy sounds. And if you are looking for something to do with the kids and want to keep them occupied, I recommend a day of crabbing. The blue claw bite has been fantastic. Grad a couple of bunker and a net and you are good for a day of catching and some mighty fine dinner fare. Whatever activity you chose to partake of, please be careful out there. You only get so many days in the game, spend them wisely. See you on the incoming.