Tom Hansen at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle said things were looking better on the beaches by Thursday morning. “Let’s get back to enjoying summertime,” he said. This has always been the time of year when the fluke fishing gets good. Unfortunately time is running out with the season set to close after Labor Day weekend. Make the most of it and get out and catch them now. Gulp! bait on a bucktail will get these fish to bite in the surf. Hansen said adding a teaser rig with a Gulp! shrimp is a good tactic and has been working for the surf guys. John Bushell at Betty and Nick’s Bait and Tackle said the weakfish are starting to show up in the back of the Barnegat Bay. “They are mostly all spikes being caught in the back bay, but at least they are here. Shrimp has been the key from what I have been told,” Bushell said. The crabbing in the bay might be slowed up a bit right now do to the full moon. Early in the week, angler Russ Knapp stopped into the shop to weigh in a 5-pound, 8-ounce blackfish. Knapp was fishing with crabs for bait on the Barnegat Inlet North Jetty at the end of Island Beach State Park. He said there were a few other anglers catching tog on the rocks. Janna Keslink at Grizz’s Bait and Tackle said anglers are catching blowfish in the bay by the 40 can, BI buoy and the sedges. “You have to chum with clam chum and fish with small pieces of squid on a blowfish rig to catch them,” Keslink said. Fluke are still being caught in their usual haunts in the bay, between the BI and BB buoys, the Double Creek channel and in the inlet. Squid, spearing and smelts are good baits to use. Out front, the Seaside Pipe and the grounds off the Island Beach Coast Guard Station and the Bathing Beaches are holding fluke as shallow as 15 foot depths.

Dan Radel