The fluke season is closed in N.Y. and N.J., so anglers who had been chasing the elusive (at least in keeper size) flatfish will have to seek another species.

At Atlantic Highlands, the Fishermen is switching to daily porgy fishing, while the Sea Hunter is taking a break until the fall striper run in mid-October.

Though it’s not really worthwhile to go boat fishing for blackfish with the summer one-fish limit, in N.J., there’a scarcity of green crabs. Joe Melillo, at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant, says he’s been unable to get any for anglers fishing in the canal — and that’s been a problem for some time,

The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported another good bluefish trip with choppers from 3 to 10 pounds on jigs.  Though the inshore forecast is fine, they have cancelled their Sept. 22 canyon trip due to a rough offshore forecast. It will be moved to Oct. 6.

The inshore forecast for Sunday is west winds at 5-10 knots before increasing to 10-15 in the afternoon.

It’s all over but the shouting for fluke anglers in both N.J. and N.Y. Saturday as that’s the last day fluke may be retained, though surfcasters will be catching some while fishing for other species probably into November.

The Big Mohawk from Belmar will be going out with a blast as there will be a $50 pool tomorrow for those wishing to participate. They sail at 6 a.m.

Also at Belmar, the Golden Eagle reported a good day of bluefish jigging with choppers up to 10 pounds.

Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park reports lots of small blues in the surf on mullet. Polish Al had a surf fluke limit up to a 2.5-pounder yesterday.

T worked the Monmouth County surf early in hope of fishing a calmer surf with the switch to west winds. Unfortunately, a larger swell from the hurricane far offshore made it hard to find fishable water around low tide. I still got one shot in the white water, and it was a beauty as a striper charged my Tactical Anglers Bomb Jr, and threw water as he hit the 2-oz. popper. That explosion looked like a big bass, but it didn’t take any drag and didn’t feel heavy before coming unhooked.  Yet, it was one of those surface strikes that will always be remembered — especially being so unexpected. That didn’t get anything started as I never raised another fish.

There are still small craft warnings for hazardous seas posted into Saturday afternoon, but light winds are forecasted with just 5-10 knots west in the morning before switching to southwest in the afternoon. Seas up to five feet, mostly from an east swell, will drop to 2-3 feet in the afternoon.

The Jersey Shore Boat Sale & Expo will be open at First Energy Park in Lakewood from 10-6 Saturday and 10-5 Sunday. Admission is $5, except free for kids 12 and under. For details visit jerseyboatexpo.com

There was a fine turnout this morning for Eddie “Hammer” Zimny’s funeral in Sacred Heart Church, Bay Head. His many fishing friends didn’t know that Eddie had escaped death back in 1960. Though his Navy service from 1953-1957 was no problem, he was working as a civilian aboard the aircraft carrier Constellation in Brooklyn Navy Yard when a massive fire started. Eddie escaped through a hatch and had to jump in the icy East River to escape from the fire that killed 46. He suffered from smoke poisoning, exposure and rib fractures before being plucked from the water. He had only been married three months at that time, but lived to raise a family and enjoy many years chasing stripers and bluefish in the surf and Point Pleasant Canal. — which is where Maren Toleno caught this 30-inch striper recently at dusk on a popper.

The N.J. Boat Sale & Expo opens Friday and continues through the weekend at First Energy Park in Lakewood.

It’s more of the same tomorrow morning, but there’s hope for Friday through the weekend. The small craft advisory remains posted for northeast winds of 10-15 knots with gusts to 20. however, that’s supposed to diminish to 5-10 knots in the afternoon before switching Friday to a period of light west winds. Seas are predicted to be 4-6-feet tomorrow. The swell wasn’t too bad today, but we could still have a problem with the big swells far offshore from the hurricane.

Boating activity has been light in the northeast winds. Capt. Ron Santee said he didn’t get out today, has a charter on Friday, and is finished with fluke. He’ll switch the Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands to daily porgies on Saturday.

Capt. Chris Distefano said Frank Criscola’s Crisdel got out to the canyons this week, but only trolled one yellowfin tuna in Toms Canyon before making a run out to 1700 feet to deep drop for swordfish. They had surprisingly good daytime action with eight hits in the great depths.  Swords of about 120 and 170 pounds were boated small ones released.

The Paramount from Brielle will be running a bluefin, bonito and little tunny trip on Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The fare is $80 with a limit of 40 anglers.  Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park reports lots of cocktail blues in the surf on mullet, though anglers casting metal next to bait fishermen aren’t getting hit.

I tried Manasquan this morning and didn’t raise a thing even though it was marginally fishable. There were three other surfcasters on the beach, and one had caught a small blue.

There was sad news this week as Capt. Tom Savastano reported that veteran surfcaster and Point Pleasant Canal angler Eddie The Hammer passed away. Ed Zimny of Point Pleasant was 86, but could still cast well enough in the canal to catch bass and blues regularly despite his hunched back. Eddie was born and raised in Elizabeth, and served in the Navy. A carpenter by trade, he died in a hospital he helped build. Eddie was one of the last old-timers from my early days in the Jersey surf — and will be missed.

The annual Jersey Shore Boat Sale & Expo opens Friday in the Lakewood ball park at 2 Stadium Rd., and continues through Sunday. The Marine Trades Association of New Jersey sponsors that event which runs from 11-6 Friday, 10-6 Saturday and 10-5 Sunday. Admission is $5, except free for kids 12 and under. For details visit jerseyboatexpo.com.

The northeast wind has created tough conditions for anglers. Though the forecast was for just 10-15 knots, a dry northeaster with that forecast always seems to end up 10 plus 15 knots for a stiff 25 knot blow. I tried casting into a rough sea this morning to no avail — and didn’t have any competition.

The forecast for Wednesday is similar, with 10-15 knots NE plus gusts to 30.  Small craft advisories will be posted from midnight to Thursday afternoon.

The Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands got out today, and Capt. Rob Semkewyc tried fishing some spots out of the wind that didn’t produce much. As a result he’s cancelling Wednesday and Thursday  before finishing up the fluke season on the weekend. Anglers should check with skippers before coming down this week,

The Golden Eagle from Belmar returned from their canyon trip with loads of dolphin, but only had one tuna hit. They did add a 100-pound swordfish and lost a bigger one. There were some small oceanic species such as jacks and triggerfish.

The Jamaica from Brielle had a good mid-range special on Sunday with action on jigs from start to finish. Blues got things started before bonito and little tunny moved in. One tuna was lost. Those $85 trips which are aimed at bluefins are limited. They are scheduled for 6 a.m. Wednesday and Monday. Space is available on a 31-hour canyon trip departing at 7 a.m Thursday. About 200 dolphin were boated on the last trip plus a 125-pound swordfish. Call 732 628-5014 for reservations.

Following is a release from Nick Honachefsky:

“The 1^st annual Barrier Island Beach Brawl surf fishing tournament is here! Presented by Saltwater Underground with Nick Honachefsky, Crab’s Claw Inn and Playa Bowls on October 11^th and 12^th. Fish from Point Pleasant to Island Beach State Park, fish the entire barrier island. 8 Cash prize payouts, multi-species weigh in and striped bass “release only” tourney with thousands of dollars worth of free raffle giveaways from: Yeti, Costa, Shimano, St. Croix, Mustad, Gamakatsu, Spro, Rapala, Tsunami, A Band of Anglers, Tactical Anglers, Magictail, Tony Maja, Jersey Mike’s, Blazing Visuals and much, much more! $40 entry gets you a million cool things without even weighing a fish. Check out all the rules, regs, free drink tix, party and prizes – reserve your spot and SIGN UP NOW www.saltwaterunderground.com/shop Facebook and Instagram @nickhonachefsky. Anglers can also sign up at Betty and Nicks, Grumpy’s Tackle, Fisherman’s Supply and Charlie’s Bait and Tackle.”

The fluke season ends on Sept. 21 in both N.J. and N.Y., leaving anglers with just a few days to stock the freezer or seek a personal best. The northeast winds that are forecast to start gusting tonight may be a complication in that quest. That’s especially he case with the big offshore swell we’re dealing with.

That combination seemed to have a negative effect on fluking during Sunday’s Triple Challenge Fluke Tournament as Dave Lilly of Hazlet ran all the way to Atlantic Beach Reef only to find it lifeless. There was a big crowd of boats from both N.Y. and N.J. there, but Lilly said he didn’t see a fluke caught. The same applied at several offshore spots  before he ended up in Ambrose Channel (where he was shut out pre-fishing on Saturday) — though the few 3-to-4-pounders there weren’t big enough to bother weighing in.  Until then, Lilly couldn’t give a bait away even to a short or a sea bass. Hopefully, we’ll get a break from the swell by the weekend, though it might actually get bigger.

The Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands reported having to get out of the swell in Sandy Hook Bay on Sunday, but fishing was poor there. They drifted in the ocean today for a 5-pounder and some shorts plus porgies and a few sea bass releases.

The Big Mohawk from Belmar reported a lack of drift and slow fluking today though there was one limit.

The Monmouth County surf was fishable in a moderate surf this morning, and Vinny D’Anton released a small blue and two small stripers on his Chug Bug before I got there. I had one hit on my Tactical Anglers Bomb Jr. popper, but lost what I suspect was a small blue in the wash. As I had a few green crabs from Castaway’s Tackle in Point Pleasant that were still usable from last week, I stopped briefly at Point Pleasant Canal even though the incoming tide was strong. I fish for sport with one-handed spinning tackle and only a few little pinch-on weights to avoid hang-ups, and was surprised by a 15-inch blackfish — my first legal tog from the canal so far though it was released. Small sea bass were sucking the meat out of the cut crabs, so I finished up with a small whole crab that attracted a better tog which hung me up. However, after slacking the line it started moving and the rod took on a serious bend as I struggled to keep it out of bottom before a releasing an 18-incher.

Grumpy’s Tackle reports lots of cocktail blues in the Surf. The Seaside Park tackle Shop noted that 95 young anglers entered in Saturday’s NJBBA Kids Tournament weighed in 95 blues.  The mullet run is well underway after the full moon.

Tuesday’s forecast is for northeast winds of 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 — but diminishing to 5-10 knots in the afternoon.

When I checked the marine forecast last night, it appeared that we were in for a period of calm weather. However, everything changed today.

Monday morning looks good with northwest winds at 5 knots, but it shifts to the east in the afternoon — and gets serious by midnight with northeast winds gusting to 25 knots.

The surf was already rough this morning without any significant wind — but due to a big swell. It was barely fishable, and I did get one splash on my popper from a small bass.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar found blues on the surface and had decent jigging for choppers up to 8 pounds. Some Spanish mackerel and fluke were added, and sea bass released. They will be offshore on a tuna trip Monday and Tuesday,

Bob Matthews reports from Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina that the fluke season is winding down this week. It’s your last chance to boat a doormat as Dan Walker from Levittown, Pa. did on a private boat with a 10 1/8-pounder.

Fishing is usually tough in the ocean after an extended northeast blow, and it seems that few boats even tried it today.

The Golden Eagle did make it out from Belmar, and managed fair bluefishing on jigs for choppers up to 6 pounds. Some anglers caught 15 while others only had one or two.

The Elaine B. II from Highlands found fluke fishing conditions to be passable, though the waters were still cloudy. They managed a few fluke, but tomorrow should be better.

The forecast for the morning is west winds at just 5-10 knots, with 3-5-foot seas — and the possibility of showers. The upcoming week looks good with light winds right up to Thursday.

Canyon fishing had dropped off before the weather turned. Capt. Chris Di Stefano was part of the crew aboard Frank Criscola’s Crisdel from Brielle Yacht Club as they ran all the way to Hendrickson’s Canyon for a 120-pound Allison tuna (a long-finned variation of the yellowfin) and a 50-pound albacore. The boat turned around for another trip to the Hudson, but only trolled a white marlin and a yellowfin there.

I cast in Point Pleasant Canal this morning, but only had a few light hits and saw just three cocktail blues caught while I was there.

The famed Spring Lake Live Liners club is welcoming new members. For details see Joe Melillo at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant, or call him during working hours at 732 899-1363.

The northeast wind seems to have kept boaters in port today, but the forecast is for a shift to southeast at 10-15 knots after midnight — and south at 10-15 Saturday. Seas are predicted to drop from 4-7 feet to 3-5 tomorrow — though a small craft advisory is up through Saturday afternoon. Check with skippers before coming down in the morning. Dave Lilly reported that the Triple Challenge Fluke Tournament was postponed to Sunday.

Though the Big Mohawk from Belmar only casually mentioned it in their Thursday report, Vinnie Bazaz boated what might have been the largest doormat fluke on a party boat this year at 14 pounds, 5 ounces — and he tried to release it! Unfortunately, the giant fluke was bleeding too badly.  Fluking in the ocean was slow that day.

With the surf out of the question this morning, I started in Shark River, but found it to be too high and switched to Point Pleasant Canal. Anglers casting jigs were doing nothing there, though they had seen some big breaks.  Jim Gates caught a cocktail blue, and I lost another that jumped off as I had it within a few feet of the wall. There wasn’t a touch after that, and I was about to give up casting when I was shocked by a solid hit on my Z Man 6-inch white Swimmereez. That fish took off at high speed with the strong current, and I was pulled along with it before I saw a large bluefish jump. It turned out to be a 25-incher before being released. We often take blues for granted, but a totally unexpected hit like that when it seemed the only hope was for a cocktail blue is a real thrill.

The Big Jamaica from Brielle ended up with lots of variety on this week’s special trip aimed at school bluefin tuna. George Perez of Lakewood boated a 35-pounder for the pool, and another bluefin was released. In addition to the targeted bonito and little tunny, there were also both Spanish and king mackerel, sea bass, fluke, bluefish and dolphin caught. Both today’s special trip and the night tuna departure were cancelled due to the weather, but a weekend special trip will be run Saturday at 6:30 a.m. for a fare of $80 and a limit of 55 fares. Next week’s weather looks good, and special trips will be run at 6 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for $85 with a limit of 35. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

The last striped bass hearing in N,J, is being run from 6-8:30 this evening at the Bay Ave. Community Center, 775East Bay Ave. in Manahawkin,

Paul Haertel came up with another big one yesterday when he fed a whole squid to a 10.35-pound doormat fluke that was weighed at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park. That was Paul’s second lifetime doormat — and the second on his boat this year. He was drifting around a wreck in 82 feet off Barnegat Inlet.

The surf was beautiful, but unproductive for me this morning except for what was probably a small bluefish that hit my Tactical Anglers Bomb Jr. popper but got off in the undertow. The weather is turning on us, with 20-25-knot winds plus gusts to 25 tonight and into tomorrow when it shifts to east. It’s likely that party boats may cancel trips, so check first before coming down. It looks good for the weekend so far.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar had all the blues you want jigging today with choppers up to 7 pounds. Some porgies were also jigged plus sea bass that were released.