The short fluke are thick, the keepers are stubborn, and the tuna showed up for the guys who kept after it — here's the week of August 10–16.
Mon 8/10 — Club Monger trip. The boats went north to Long Branch and worked their way back down, with the final drift on the SE corner of the Sea Girt Reef. Tough day for size — lots and lots of shorts — but the green boat still put 14 keepers in the box. Bill P had 15 shorts and zero keepers and tipped his cap to a hard-working mate. As Frank C put it, has anyone this season gotten 14 keepers?
Mon 8/10 — Joe D stayed local and made it work: a 19" keeper fluke in the river, then out front chasing birds on schools of cocktail blues feeding on rain bait, about 35 ft off the Squan/Sea Girt line. "Lots of fun."
Tue 8/11 — Joe M fished two hours by the Axel — 2 nice sea bass and 20 fluke with no keepers — then found a bluefin on the troll under birds in 200 ft, 5 miles past the Shark River Reef. He also ran the pots looking for mahi, but it was too rough in the morning — no luck. Joe says he'll have caught over a hundred fluke this year with only one keeper (luckily, in our river tournament).
Thu 8/13 — Jim F posted the fish of the week: a big bluefin tuna. "Wow, now that's a tuna."
Fri 8/14 — Fred T found Long Branch paved with fluke — drop and reel from 8:30 to noon in 45–50 ft off Pier Village, with nearby drops holding fish too. He ended with 2 keepers and around 50 shorts before working down toward the Red Church. Luis C took a beach day and watched the club boats run past.
Tight lines — see you next week.