The N.J. DEP's Reef Program took another step forward on Wednesday when the 68-foot trawler Austin was sunk on the Axel Carlsen Reef -- and Commissioner Bob Martin said there are many more to come.  The Austin was built in 1956 at Tampa, Florida, and fished for shrimp n the Gulf of Mexico until before being converted to a trawler in 1966 to fish out of Point Pleasant. She certainly didn't look like much after being stripped for sinking, but even with a hole cut in her bow she proved to be too seaworthy as Commissioner Martin, the press and TV plus many guests on Miss Michelle III from Point Pleasant spent a lot of time waiting for the choppy ocean to take her down through a hole in her bow. Then there was a blast of horns from all the boats on the scene, including the Gambler and Jamaica II on the way in from their fishing trips. That was the fourth sinking on state reefs this year. It was dedicated to the memory of young angler and party boat mate John Grady III, the son of John and Agatha Grady from Brielle. Glenn Egerter and Kevin Lovegren constructed a massive cross from black walnut that was covered with hand-carved scrolls from friends and attached to the Austin. Fluking in the Raritan Bay area has been poor since the tropical storm, and the Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands gave up on it before the season closes Sunday night. Capt. Ron Santee switched over to porgy fishing on Wednesday, and was happy to report 1/2 to full buckets of scup that included several in the 3-pound class. That fishing continued Thursday, when a 3.8-pounder was boated. Lots of sea bass are also caught, but have to be released during the closed season. The Angler from that port is still fluking, and had a 9-pound, 9 1/2-ounce catch this week by Bill Karg of Millington to take the lead in the Big Pool that was worth $4,850 at the time. Tank Matraxia and his crew from Lyndhurst wanted to give fluking a last half-day try on Thursday with Capt. Hans Kaspersetz on Sheri Berri from Twin Lights Marina in Highlands. On the way out we came across birds working over small blues off the point of Sandy Hook. I hooked a little tunny while  casting a new Run-Off Rainfish jig, but a Grady White with NY registration drove right over my line despite our yelling at him  -- and almost spooled my reel before I broke off. Our fluke fishing on rough spots east of the Hook, where they had been present before the storm, was as poor as expected. Matraxia tagged sea bass up to 14 inches, but he only tagged one 13-inch fluke while Marty Gras boated an 18-inch fluke. Matraxia later got some good news as two more of his American Littoral Society tags were returned to bring his total up to 177. A striper he tagged at 24 1/2 inches on Shrewsbury Rocks on Nov. 9, 2011 was caught at Race Point on Cape Cod on July 10. Then there was a fluke Matraxia tagged on July 7 in Raritan Bay which was dredged up in Hudson Canyon by a Belford trawler on Sept. 19. That's a good indication of where are missing fluke are. Offshore waters have been the key to success for the Jamaica II from Brielle. They were fishing in 100 to 120 feet during Monday's Fluke Marathon that was described as the best of the year. Chris Molinaro of North Haledon took his five-fluke limit from among 21 keepers up to a 7.2-pounder. Other anglers caught 12 and 14 of legal size.The last Marathon will be run on the last day of the season -- at 5 a.m. Sunday The 8th annual Jersey Shore Boat Sale & Expo will run from Friday to Sunday in First Energy Park, Lakewood. This Marine Trades Association event features almost 70 boat brands plus used boats and a boater's marketplace spread over 130,000 square feet. There are attractions for the youngsters in the Kid's Cove that includes Jenkinson's Touch Tank. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Parking is free, and the admission is $4 for adults. Children under 12 are admitted free. For details visit JerseyBoatExpo.com Fall arrived Thursday morning, but waters remain in the mid-seventies, and there's been no sign of sand eels so far. Striped bass should be feeding on the peanut bunkers and mullet that were reported in the rivers and bays, but there's been few reports of those forage fish in the surf so far. Chuck Many of Annandale expects to catch stripers even in mid-summer from his Ty Man out of Gateway Marina in Highlands, but even he couldn't find one of any size when we fished Tuesday. His rough spots in Raritan Bay had lots of tiny sea bass plus porgies that were eating up our sandworms, so he moved to the Hudson River where a very short drift produced hot action with weakfish from 19 to 29 inches for 30 releases plus five bluefish, a short fluke, two sea robins, a porgy, and lots of those little sea bass   There's actually been better striper action for a few anglers in the surf. Vinny D'Anton of Shark River Hills caught a keeper three days in a row (two of 28 1/2 and one of 34 inches)  at Spring Lake until that streak came to an end Thursday when there was no life at all. Leif Pettersen has been picking away with stripers on a 2/0 chartreuse snake fly at Deal, including two of 30 and 28 1/2 inches.  Yellowfin tuna fishing hasn't come back in the canyons since the storm, though there have been lots of dolphin plus a hot white marlin bite in Wilmington Canyon. The Golden Eagle from Belmar loaded up with dolphin during this week's first canyon trip, but a swordfish was the only catch at night. The Gambler from Point Pleasant had a similar report of lots of dolphin on their first first canyon run.