Tom Hansen at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle said time is running out for the fluke season and they are just beginning to see the big ones. The spearing are on the move and the bigger fluke are on them. Joe Barbee nailed a 10 pounder in the Barnegat Inlet. The fluke are also in the surf. Unfortunately, Hurricane Earl may cut the season even a few days shorter. Bigger 10- to 12-pound blues are coming close enough to be caught from the beach. They are hitting metals, bunker and mullet. Mike Malek said he got a new shipment of Hercules 748H blanks into the shop. Weigh-ins from the shop this week were Bill Morgan with a 5.5-pound fluke caught with Gulp!, Joe Barbee with a 10.1-pound fluke with spearing and Craig Napolitano with a 12.2-pound bluefish that hit metal. John Bushell at Betty and Nick’s Bait and Tackle said one of his early morning customers this week found the pocket at the North Barnegat Inlet Jetty loaded with small bluefish. “He had them in the dark all night on Hopkins. These bluefish will provide that action we want until the striper run gets here time around the end of September.” Bushell said. One of their shop regulars already found some stripers. John Bartoli of North Bergen had a nice day this week fishing when he landed a 30-inch striper and a 36-inch bluefish. Some of the bigger blues are slowly making their way to the beach now. Dave Hughes at Grizz’s Bait and Tackle said the fluking is good in the Barnegat Inlet. Triggerfish are also being caught in the inlet on the rocks. He said a lot of people are doing the blowfish thing as their bite really seems to have turned on this week. “Lots of snapper blues, peanut bunker and mullet in the lagoons,” Hughes said.

Dan Radel