Posted on July 18, 2019 Golden Eagle reports another great variety catch As noted in last night’s blog, party boats have been enjoying super variety chumming not too far offshore, and that continued today according to the Golden Eagle from Belmar report. They had lots of bonito and chub mackerel along with some blues and Spanish mackerel.  It was all on jigs except for the mackerel, though some Spanish also hit small, shiny lures. Bob Matthews reports from Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina that there are lots of mostly small fluke in the river while boats fishing the ocean are catching more keepers when conditions are good. Jack McLaughlin weighed in a 5 1/4-pounder. Bluefin tuna trolling has held up in the mid-range areas. John Reilly of Hooked Café did a solo trip on his boat and returned with a 70-pounder. John Andrea ran out of the back of Raritan Bay on the weekend, and then another 63 miles from Sandy Hook to reach the Virginia wreck where bluefins averaging 35 inches were trolled, though chunking at night was unproductive. Casting in Shark River has been up-and–down this week, though Joe Blaze was very happy to release two school stripers on his fly rod this morning during his first shore attempt there since 2006. He used a Lefty’s Deceiver on an intermediate line.  Vinny D D’Anton caught three small bass, and Tommy Cox also scored –though I only missed two hits on a Tactical Anglers Crossover popper. Bob Correll reported the Bay Head surf was colder after the south wind, and he only saw one small blue caught after he caught four blues casting metal the previous morning,  including a 3-pounder — and also added a spike weakfish. The switch to a northeast wind should bring the surf temperature up. It will be just 5-10 knots in the morning before switching to 10-15 with gusts to 20 in the afternoon.