Fluke sucks this season
 

Been hitting it hard daily. If the limit was 15 I'd have more filets then I'd know what to do with. I've got 2 doormats total this year and maybe 4 other just keepers. I'd love to know where all these great reports are coming from ?! The Raritan was loaded with more bunker tonight then I've ever seen at once and rays attacking them everywhere. At least I caught one of those!

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

I have to agree. Guess we were spoiled last year

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

that is how it has been for everyone. I only have 2 keepers all season a 6.4 pounder and one 18 inch. decided to go on a party boat with a bunch of friends and we only got 5 shorts between the 4 of us but we did see a guy bring up a 9.5 pound fluke

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

We been spoiled for many years. If you took all the boats that slam Raritan Bay every week-end and put that kind of pressure in any other waters in the U.S., that area would be depleted with-in a month. Raritan Bay is the best estuary on the east coast that keeps giving and giving every year. It's really an amazing fishery.

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

we have limited out just about every trip.
LOTS of fish around, just need to find where they want to chew each day.

we have fished a few spots that were biteless, to come back and crush them at the same spot a few hours later.

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

I need to go with you Dan :) 3 times out in last couple weeks with only one keeper to show for it... lot's of shorts :D

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

Sorry to hear guys, it definitley hasn't been a hot bite any day but I've had my share of keepers for sure. It's going to explode any day now, hopefully the forecasts for the next week are accurate. Last years end of July bite was insane

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

Chris Molinari, yesterday 3 limits on one trip, maybe you should consider a nice set of golf clubs????;):)
Doesnt suck for everybody.

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

I agree with you, Chum. I've picked up a couple of keepers on nearly every trip, but it has overall been S L O W. Hit it hard last Sunday with nothing to show for it. Better days are comin', I hope.

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

I could not agree more. I only fish from the surf and mostly catch shorts with an occasional keeper to be quite honest but this year has been dismal. Live killies in the surf is usually a sure thing. I switched it up to gulps on a dropper and nothing. Even the robins aren't around like they usually are.

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

Water temps were way down (low 60's) just north of IBSP this w/e. Tons of speering in the wash but did not see one fluke caught or anything for that matter. No birds, no blues boiling just a flat day.

Possibly the FLUKE are moving up the rivers following the bait looking for warmer water?

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

Caught a 7.2 in June. Won me free fishing for a year. Everything else was by-catch.

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

Was Ocean side of the Hook yesterday in the swelter. Ripping 2.5 knot outgoing tide. 8 ounces in 30-35 feet of water. :(

One keeper, a 6 inch sea robin, and a 30" sand shark and cooked doing that over 4 hours.

Last year I saw no sea robins. This was my first since 2013

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

3 limits on one trip and no pics?! Hmmmmmmm

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

maybe everyone kept to many breeders in the past thats what the excuse is when anything else has a down year. it will be good in August like every other year

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

At least I'm not the only one going through this lol..stripers can't come back soon enough!

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

worst season I have ever seen in cape may, fishing the og site 11 etc. some trips shorts are active but keepers are far an few between, and from most i hear the same thing

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

The powers that be,NMFS, will say we over caught our quota and reduce the limit. Fluke fishing is tough this year. Remember the year after Sandy, they said we over caught our quota by 47%. BS

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

It's normal for July some good days some not so good days.

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

With temps on the rise, hopefully so will be the fluke fishing. Screwy weather patterns over the last few years with brutally cold winters and delayed warm water temps have put a dent in the early summer fluking, but it'll come around.

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

Last year July sucked for me then it broke open

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

I'm pretty sure I read these same postings last year until August broke open.

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

I fished out east last week with jamie in the miss montauk slam fest I had four fish over 6 lbs biggest 8.8 limits every day

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

we have been doing well staying local.... but if ya stay local u need to bounce around at times and fish through both tides... Mud buoy... Fisherman... Rocks...Snake... good and bad...

some guys here making the long run to Atlantic Beach Reef, MacCallister Grounds, even the cholera area...

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

Everything is late this year due to the coldest winter on record. Be patient and you'll be blessed with a great August and September.

PS - my fluking has been great with only one meh trip.

:)

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

Looks like some warmer water has moved in closer to shore too so this should help get the ocean fluking into gear.

Re: Fluke sucks this season
 

After running down to Sandy hook the last 10 trips I decided to hit right outside my marina by the triangle and 2 keepers on the boat within 20 minutes plus a lot of shorts that needed to be measured but most were 17.5. By the way of course it wasn't me that caught the keepers haha. Needless to say ill be staying in the back bay and the reach until further notice