Since Father's Day, bass fishing north of Shark River into the Raritan Reach has been uneventful for most. Most reports of big bass seem to be south of the Shark River inlet along the surf to Barnegat Light.

From the Suds, Paul Danielczyk reported on NJSaltwaterfisherman.com that the bass were everywhere along Island Beach State Park (IBSP). On June 20, a 56-pound bass was caught on bunker in the surf at IBSP. Dave Digaetino landed the 52-inch trophy. Plus, another weighed in by Zach Paone at 49 inches and 52 pounds, as reported by Grumpy's.

Betty & Nick's has reported that the boaters and kayakers have been doing really well, with a lot of bass in the 30-pound class being boated.

The best time for the surf is still between dusk and dawn, with bunker being the bait of choice. The only problem with all this great striped bass fishing is the number of skates, sea robins and dogfish you have to go through to land just one trophy.

If you like to target bluefish, they can be had just about anytime and they seem to be hitting top-water plugs at dusk and again at dawn in sizes around 5-7 pounds. Paul landed a couple this past week on a red and white pencil popper in the 8-inch range.

For you crabbers out there, the reports of some decent catches are starting to come in as more and more people are starting to make their way down for vacation. Paul says that if you're looking to target crabs, try the North Pier on the bay side in Seaside Heights and the South Pier in Seaside Park, both being accessible along Route 35 - the North Pier just before the Route 37 bridge and the South Pier just after the Route 37 bridge.

Ten thousand dollars is guaranteed at the Staten Island Tuna Club's 19th annual Shark Tournament; N.Y. and N.J. anglers are welcome. For information or registration, call 718-689-2725. Entry fees are $300 per vessel. For more information, log on to www.situnaclub.com. The captains' meeting is June 27 at Michaels Bait & Tackle, Staten Island. The tournament is June 28.

Fish on!