Getting in and out of Manasquan Inlet has gotten easier now that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has dug out more than 60 million pounds of wet sand to rid the shoaling. The job is not done yet but boat captains are at least more comfortable using the inlet.
The late summer ocean water is hovering around the mid-70 degree mark as far as the surface temperature inshore goes. Fishermen made some nice catches as the ocean has ocean settled back down after the storms last week.
Capt. Ryan Bogan had the Jamaica II party boat on the Axel Carlson Reef drifting for fluke when one his fares tied into a much bigger fish that took the bait on the way down. It turned out to be a 28-pound, 43-inch long cobia when the dust settled. The angler, Peter Ubershurow, was fishing with a light outfit for fluke, so the cobia beat his tackle up and cracked the rod, but he succeeded in landing the fish.
More: After storm passes, boats find bluefish biting at the Mud Buoy
Bogan said the fluke fishing overall was good. He had a lot of fishermen walk off the boat with their limit catches on the half-day trips. The monthly pool also changed hands twice and the new fluke to beat is 7 pounds, 7 ounces with a couple weeks left in August to do so.
Capt. Dave Riback on the Queen Mary was pleased with the bluefish fishing the last couple of days. He had been running up to the Mud Buoy but he found fish before that as he motored up the coastline. The schools of blues he found were 1- to 4- pound fish that were perfect for smaller AVA jigs, size 017. The bonito also showed up and quite a few were landed in the fray. Some of his more experienced anglers hit the bonito with an assortment of slender, flashy, metal jigs.
A couple party fishing boats are starting to catch bluefish at night. The Jamaica and Norma K III both reported catches from last weekend. They're just running on the weekend nights since there hasn't been much of a crowd or a night fishery to speak of. Both boats had been fishing mostly for ling while keeping a hopeful eye out for the blues. Capt. Howard Bogan Jr. on the Jamaica said they caught the blues last weekend on the Shark River Reef.
More: What's biting: get the latest fishing reports here
Fishermen at Barnegat Inlet are catching sheepshead. The bite has been pretty good since about the first weekend in August, according to Surf City Bait & Tackle on Long Beach Island. The triggerfish are around too, though they haven't been making a whole lot of noise this summer at the Jersey Shore. Grumpy's Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported a catch of one that was made from the shore.
When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Fishermen fight and land cobia, bonito, blues on the inshore grounds
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