Fish become lethargic when water is discolored and hot. As a result, fishing will be slow. These conditions are present during the last half of the ebbing tide and the first half of the flood tide. During the last three hours of the flood tide and the first three hours of the ebb tide cleaner, cooler ocean water will be the dominant component of the water content and fishing conditions will be best. You should therefore coordinate your fishing trips with the most favorable conditions. The last of the flood and beginning of the ebb are the best for fishing in the summer.

       When the ocean is calm, it is ideal to fish the ocean for fluke. Unfortunately, a calm ocean means no drift. When this is the case, few fluke will be caught. To consistently have a successful catch of quality size fluke, use the boat engine to create movement, or power drift. You must use small diameter lines to reduce line drag in order for this to work properly. You can use 20 pound Power Pro multifilament line and 8 or 10 ounce baited chrome balls with a leader and baited teaser about one foot above the ball on a three way swivel. Drop back about 150-200 feet of line in 70 feet of water and put the boat into and out of gear momentarily to just create about 1 knot of forward motion. Only fish two lines off the stern dead sticked in the rod holders.

       Stripers like to hit a lure on the drop. When jigging an artificial for stripers, technique is extremely important. During the jigging motion, when the rod tip is lowered to let the jig hit the bottom, it is best to do it slowly. When the tip is dropped slowly and tension is maintained on the line and a fish striking the lure on the drop will be detected more easily. If a strike is detected, the lack of slack in the line will allow you to set the hook instantly. Extra sharp hooks also will help to add fish to the cooler.

       When chumming bass using clams as hook bait, many fish get gut hooked. A hook in the gut is not a good thing for a fish that must be released. Try using circle hooks. 6/0 Gamakatsu circle hooks work very well. When a fish picks up the bait, don't strike with the rod. Let the fish turn and run and then just put the reel into gear and hold on. The leader will slide along the corner of the mouth and the circle hook will catch on its way out. The hook can be easily removed and the fish released in good shape so it can get bigger and fight again another day.

       Bucktails tipped off with a jellyworm are very productive for catching stripers and fluke. Most jellyworms are 7 to 9 inches in length and if attached to the buck tail will trail way behind the hook. This will result in short strikes that miss the hook or poor hookups that will be lost before you can get them to the boat. You can cut the worm short leaving it about 4 to 5 inches in length. When it is threaded on the bucktail hook it will only extend past the hook about 3 inches. This setup will produce solid hookups.

       Fluke in the ocean are feeding on squid. Most anglers use a strip of squid in combination with a spearing or killie and this works real well however, if you want to catch a big fish, use whole squid as hook bait. Squid with a body size of 3 to 5 inches is the perfect fluke bait.

       Fishing live bait is a very effective technique for catching big striped bass and bluefish. During peak season however, bluefish are very numerous and with their sharp teeth, they will chop through a monofilament leader. To prevent such a break-off use a trace of wire leader at the hook. The visibility of the wire may scare off a couple of bass and bluefish but at least you will be able to hook, fight and land a couple of big blues.

       Striped bass like to stay near the bottom when they feed. Bluefish prefer feeding near the surface. If you are targeting stripers, you will catch more fish by working lures deep, near the bottom. For that reason, use swimming plugs that sink. When casting a sinking plug, count down about a second for each foot that you want it to sink. When you think it is at the desired depth, begin your retrieve and work the plug slowly, just above the bottom. If you are fishing in 10 feet of water, make your cast, count to 8 and retrieve the plug in pulses. Pull it a couple of feet to get it to wobble and send out vibrations, pause to reel up the slack and then pull it again. The strike, if it does happen, will almost always be on the pause. Be ready to set the hook and then hang on. This is technique is deadly on striped bass.

       When drifting and fishing live bait, you should always make note of your boat position should you catch a fish. Gamefish tend to hang out in one area, usually near some good bottom structure. When you catch a fish, be sure to note the position with your GPS or take a fix on some structure on land or even a buoy. You can go back and drift over the same spot and you will usually be rewarded with more good action.

       During the hot summer weather it is very important to keep your catch on ice. They will spoil in the heat and could actually get you sick if the heat damage is severe. The quality of the meat will diminish rapidly upon heating. I fill empty soda bottles with water and freeze them. They are reusable and this saves on the cost of ice. It is also very convenient. When filling them, squeeze out an ounce or two of the water to allow for expansion and cap them tightly. You can put a bunch in your cooler and add them to the container in which you keep your catch. Put two or three into the fish-box on your boat. Stopper the drain, and pour in a couple of gallons of sea-water. The water will stay cold for several hours. Fish kept this way will be in excellent condition.