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NJ WIR 7-21-08
Well folks we are now settling into the "summer doldrums" pattern.
Fish are around, but the prize that many are looking for, striped bass, has become more difficult to locate and catch a decent one. The seasoned fishermen are still hooking up, but even they have nights in a row without success. Those catching fish right now are truly dedicated, and use their years of experience and flexibility to figure out what works best for that night. This changes depending on time of tide, bait present, and stage of the moon.
Coming off the full moon, fishing should improve this week. The fluke are getting bigger, but people are still upset at all the throwbacks to get through to a legal keeper. Bluefish have not started to attack lures and bait in the surf, and this is a little later than last year, but boaters are pulling them in from 1-5 miles offshore. They should make their presence know to surfcasters within the next week or so, and maybe sooner to night fishermen.
Weakfish are more abundant in the back bays, and cow nosed rays and sharks are becoming more prevalent. Please be very careful if you hook a big ray, folks. Most can be handled and released without freaking out, but some can cause damage, and terrible infections if you get spiked by one. Proceed cautiously.
Offshore, there is a good tuna bite developing, with tuna up to the 250lb class reported by those who can afford the fuel for the long canyon trips. Most tuna caught are smaller than this.
Some smaller bluefin have been taken on the inshore lumps, and these areas should be considered before making the far offshore canyon treks.
The one thing I want to mention in this week's reports is that there are literally thousands of sea robins being caught every day by anglers who really are not happy about it. Combined with the less desirable skates and dogfish, people consider all of these fish trash, and quite often discard them right on the shore line or jetty area. Although they may be a nuisance, they are part of the food chain.
I know dogfish are supposed to be endangered. I disagree with this premise, but it's the law that we are not allowed to keep or discard them. Again, even though many may not agree, I recommend we all follow the laws and regulations. The time to change something like that is when the next assessment hearings come up. Register your protests then.
In the meantime, please consider the enjoyment of others if you really feel you need to kill these fish and just leave them lying around. It's just not respectful, or sportsmanlike.
Beyond that, you can actually eat these fish if they are big enough (of course not the dogfish). If anyone can try to post some recipes for sea robins and skates, I would appreciate it.
For the kids, snapper bluefish are getting bigger in the back bays. In a week or 2, you will be able to take your younger children fishing for snappers, a great summertime introductory experience. For those who like good fights for the kids on light tackle, porgies are now available in some back bay areas, and croakers and kingfish are available in some southern surf areas for those using small pieces of clam or fishbites.
NY WIR 7-21-08
The back bays are still producing bass during low light periods. There are now roving schools of bluefish moving around and slashing the developing snappers and peanut bunker.
There are also some very nice sized jumbo porgies to be found in certain back bay areas.
Out front, the inlet areas have again been the best producers, and areas near Montauk and further north giving folks the best chance for a bigger bass, with a record caught a few days ago in Rhode Island. 
Although fluking is frustrating, more keepers are being caught, particularly in the LI sound area.
Finally, the distant hurricanes are producing a significant swell out there, and some strong rip currents. Several drownings have recently happened because of this. Please be ever-watchful if you or your children are out there. Don't just leave it up to the lifeguards.
It only takes a few seconds for something to change from "serious" to "tragedy". Please be extra careful out there this week, folks. It always saddens me when I read these drowning and accident reports.
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Demo area last night 7-9pm, one bluefish 8 lbs on krokodile, then one a half hour later similar size on pencil. That was it.
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RM area yesterday for a few hours incoming, 2 small bass on clams.
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Haven't been posting too many reports because the fishing has really sucked, lot different that last year. 
Finally got a 27" bass on clams this morning fishing a Fire Island inlet in the back side, bass hit at 5am. After sun came up, there was nothing else, not even bluefish.
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I haven't had much luck in the past few days either. Rough surf, lots of weeds, bad tides. Did manage one shad on my teaser rig near an inlet the other night before dark, but that was it. On the plus side, many of the places I scout have snappers, like joe says. Good time to take the kids to the commercial docks for some snapper action.
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Fishing near the Rockaways, rough surf figured I would try clams, 2 bass to 25" on clams and 8 oz sinker, bass were pretty fat. Skies looked bad, and I took off.
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NJ WIR 7-29-08
Folks, we are still continuing with the lazy hazy days of summer. It's hot and humid, punctuated by some severe thunderstorms and fantastic lightning displays.
Fishing has slowed down, and less people are fishing as a result. You can still pick through short fluke, and more keepers are being reported, but it's still a pick. Although the bluefish are done spawning, they have not turned on to the degree they had by this time last year, either for the surfcaster or the nearshore boaters.
I had wrongly predicted that they would have by now, based on notes in my log. We can't always be right, and conditions change from year to year. 
There is an interesting trend to the water temperatures this year. The water from the Shark River area to the North has heated up, while the water to the South, particularly South of Absecon Inlet, is slightly colder at times. The South wind has helped to keep temperatures down, and sometimes this puts the fluke bite off. Nonetheless, some dedicated and experienced captains are still pulling in some nice fluke, one or 2 at a time.
Offshore, tuna are still a good bet, but the action there is spotty. One day is a bonanza, while another is a bust. Bigger tuna in the 250 lb class are finally being caught. The end of August and beginning of September should continue to bring in hotter tuna action. I remember the days when giant 500 lbers were caught in the Mud Hole, and look forward to hearing reports of at least a few larger ones each year.
Weakfish are still being caught in the back bays, but the action is spotty. Croakers are also continuing to put on a good show in our surf, with the hotter winds and water bringing in a few more tropical fish to the jetties.
On the plus side, the bait - peanuts, snappers, spearing is getting bigger, which should draw hungry predators into feed. Speaking of predators, there are a lot of sharks around, including a small great white caught off Monmouth County last week.
And -- There is encouraging news about small schoolies, which have been conspicuously absent from the MoCo and OcCo surf areas. A sprinkling are beng caught here and there at night, and in low-light.
NY WIR 7-29-08
NY is also in a slower summer fishing pattern, with much the same as I described above. The main body of bass has moved beyond NY. They are now catching them in New Hampshire and Maine, and the action in those areas should only get better.
Meanwhile there are some smaller bass around if you are out in the dark, and can find large schools of bait with few other people coming in to spook them. Many of the NY bay areas have been plagued with weeds during certain tides. This can be irritating, and aggravating because of the randomness.
Note for fishermen in all states:
Due in part to the hurricane season, and some of our summer weather patterns, we have had a greater degree of rip currents near area beaches, and quite a few people have lost their lives. This is common for his time of year, but seems more tragic than usual.
If you know anyone who is a new swimmer, or are near anyone like this, it's important not to show panic. Exercise care to stay away from areas with rip currents, just as you should try to stay inside during severe thunderstorms. Several people have been struck by lightning.
Please folks, be careful. If you know someone who is not sophisticated or savvy about the water, please try to educate them as to the dangers, if possible.
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Late afternoon bite at Breezy, threw bass assassin with gulp shrimp teaser, trying for bass, but was inundated with sea robins and short fluke.
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Cuaght 22 fluke yesterday south beach staten island killy and squid. not one keeper!! Many many jellyfish, no good for swimming.
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NS this morning 4-6, somewhere near the Shoreham area. Cocktail blues crashing bait early, looked like baby weakfish. Good light tackle action for awhile.
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Rockaways yesterday, pm bite. Some short fluke and few keeper weakies using pink fin s.
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Heard good things about Shinnecock, so I went. Slow bite, no bass, couple cocktails, and some guys pulling in short fluke and small seabass. Lots of bait around, maybe just an off night.
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