Fluke and sea bass keep Jersey Shore boats loaded through the new moon

Capt Ron's out of Atlantic Highlands has strung together several days in a row of what the crew is calling very good to excellent fluke fishing, with many customers boxing their three-fish limit and quality doormats in the 3-to-5-pound range, including a 5-pound-12-ounce pool winner. Blue Chip Sportfishing reports black sea bass fishing "red hot," with boats limiting out on almost every trip, plus shark fishing that has "busted wide open" with multiple mako sharks hooked and released. Offshore, Fishermans HQ LBI is finding 25-to-40-pound bluefin tuna within roughly 30 miles of Barnegat Inlet on the troll and drift, a pattern OTW's Northern New Jersey report corroborates alongside bonito mixed into bluefish schools. Water off LBI sat in the low 70s as of August 11 per Fishermans HQ, with sand eels, spearing, mullet, and peanut bunker stacking up at the inlet under this week's new moon. Striped bass remain the quiet piece of the puzzle, typical for the summer lull.

Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.