Fair Fishing in the Manasquan-Belmar Area, Reports Say

Fishing wasn't quite on fire, but was steady all week in southern Monmouth County, ushering in what should be one of the busiest weekends of the summer season.

"The blues did not bite the last couple of days so we mixed up the trip with some bottom fishing and caught some nice sea bass, ling, and flounder," the crew of the Big Jamaica out of Brielle said in a report.

The boat, which sails from Bogan's Basin at 7:30 a.m. daily, found sea bass over the past week, with the captain had heard good bluefin tuna reports from the offshore waters.

On the brand new Jamaica II, fishing improved as water temperatures rose after dropping early last week. The crew has been fishing the bottom, with the occasional jumbo sea bass boated. A number of 6-pound fluke were pool winners over the past few days.

On board the Miss Belmar on Friday, some rocky bottom was fished, producing "a nice pick of ling, fluke, flounder and sea bass."

The bluefish seemed to be on one day and off the next, but there has been a good pick of sea bass and ling all week long, the report from the boat said.

The Miss Belmar sails from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

The Ocean Explorer also sails from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and found a groundswell on Friday that slowed fishing.

"Water warmed up to almost 70 degrees with the onshore breeze but fishing was way off today," a report from the boat said.

But as the swell eased late into the trip fishing picked up. The pool fish was a near-5-pound fluke.

"Most of the keepers came up late as well... good sign for [Saturday]," the report said.