It has been too hot for too long, as if you didn't know. Beware dead bait and crabs! Special measures need to taken with very hot surface water in the lagoons. Hot water holds no oxygen, so if your blueclaw crabs and your minnows are exposed to the poor quality water for too long a time, they will die. When storing crabs in the keeper type cage, make an extra effort to move the keeper cage to deeper water. The deeper water is cooler and will give the crabs a much better chance of survival. If at all possible, you should bring with you a small six pack soda-type cooler in which to keep the Minnows and/or Shrimp you purchase. Cover the bottom of the cooler with a layer of ice cubes. Soak a towel in salt water and wring dry. Place the damp towel over the ice cubes to insulate the bait minnows or grass shrimp from direct contact with the ice. They will transport excellently in this manner and can be kept on board the boat for easy access to your bait throughout the fishing trip. This is a good way to keep them alive at any time, but in this weather, it is much more essential. Another tip to keep in mind is for Floating plastic bait buckets, which should be sunk a few feet form the surface. Tie the bait bucket off the outer edge of your boat or floating dock, and add a few heavy sinkers or good sized rocks to sink the bucket. Don't allow the bucket to go all the way to the bottom. If it lays just right on the bottom, the holes for the water to circulate through will be blocked by mud, and the minnows will die. If you own a floating cedar box, slip it under your floating dock. Make sure that your floater doesn't lay on the bottom at low tide or it will crush your box. In all cases, try to avoid direct sunlight on the bait boxes. It causes a greenhouse effect which is directly responsible for cooking your bait.

I still can't point out any good Fluke fishing on the ocean yet. Many anglers have fished outside with little or no success. Sharks and skates have dominated the ocean floor, not allowing Fluke anglers half a chance. However, sometimes it's necessary to fish on the ocean to escape the flies and mobs of boats. The best suggestion is still to concentrate your efforts in the Little Egg Reef site area. A good catch of Seabass were caught there this week as well as a few good sized Fluke.

Inshore Bluefishing is non-existent. For whatever reason, the Bluefishing in the canyons and other offshore locations, like the 28 mile wreck and the 25 fathom hole, has been good. We need water conditions to change, or bait to show up along the beach to entice the bluefish back inshore. There are plenty of them around, so say the tuna fishermen.

Do you like to catch the bonita and albacore that show up this time of year? Well, this year you need a permit to catch one...No saltwater fishing license, huh? It's $18.00 and you can call this phone number for all the specifics. 1 888 USA TUNA(1 888 872 8862). It is a very involved automated system and should give all the answers to any questions you may have

The Weakfishing is good for some anglers that have the knack to catch them. There are fish in the mouth of the Mullica River. Casting and retrieving plastic worms on jig heads baited with sandworms will catch Weakfish. It is a lot of work though, continually throwing the jigs and slowly retrieving them time and time again.