1) Long Beach Island/Great Bay
Kingfish improved in the surf of Long Beach Island. Margaret O'Brien said from Jingle's Bait and Tackle in North Beach Haven that one surfcaster picked up 24. Bluefish in the 1- to 1-1/2-pound class are in the surf. Fish for flounder from Mordecai Island to Beach Haven Inlet with minnows and Gulp. White perch are biting in Mullica River up at Green Bank and Lower Bank, and in Wading River. Flounder are in the ocean at Garden State South Reef and the Rutgers cans, according to a report from Chestnut Neck Boat Yard in Port Republic. O'Brien reported flounder in 60 feet of water off Long Beach Island.
2) Atlantic County
Flounder are still all over the back bays. Captains blistered them in Absecon Inlet around the buoys off the Atlantic City jetties before the full moon. Anglers fishing T-Jetty and other rockpiles in A.C. catch a lot of tautog, along with flounder and bluefish. Use green crab for tog, squid and minnows for flounder and cut bait or small lures for bluefish. The Brigantine jetty has flounder, tog and kingfish plus triggerfish, according to a report from Bayside Bait and Tackle. Kingfish are solid in the surf. The Ventnor City Fishing Pier had what was described as the best day for kingfishing this year on Sunday, July 31.
3) Cape May County
Now that the waters have warmed up in the back bays, flounder are migrating more toward Townsend Inlet to the Avalon Coast Guard Station and in North Channel. Dick Herb, captain of the charterboat Escapade, had four keeper flounder in a catch of 18 on a recent trip. Anglers fishing Eighth Street Jetty in Avalon catch tautog, bluefish, flounder and kingfish. A school of black drumfish were recently sighted swarming around the rocks at the T.I. toll bridge. Lots of kingfish are in the surf at Avalon, Sea Isle City and Strathmere.
4) Delaware Bay
Old Grounds and Reef Site 11 have decent flounder. Cape May Reef is a good spot for flounder, plus some sea bass. Ben Budd from Budd's Bait and Tackle in Villas said there are a lot of flounder at Miah Maul up in the bay. Croaker and kingfish are biting bloodworm around Cape May Point.
5) Offshore
Mahi are moving inshore to as close as a few miles off the beach. Troll for them with feathers and bucktails around weed lines, debris and pots from 3 miles out to the canyons. Most of the tuna and white marlin caught in the recent Avalon Offshore Open were caught at Lindenkohl and Wilmington Canyons. Inshore trolls also can take bonito, bluefish, Spanish and chubb mackerel. Try 30- and 40-fathom lines, The Cigar, Elephant's Trunk, 750 Square, 19-Fathom Lump, East Lump and Five-Fathom bank.
