Welcome to the first Offshore Report of 2009!

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

On the <b>Nan Sea J</b> from Belmar 25 blue sharks to 150 pounds were muscled in Thursday on the season’s first weekly, open-boat trip for sharks, Capt. Tom said. The monsters were fought all day long, and no makos showed up. Waters were 61 to 62 degrees, within range for makos. With any luck, makos will migrate through when waters warm a couple of degrees more, and Tom was eager to get back out on next week’s trip, thinking the time was right. Waters were beautiful and clean, and thick fog blanketed the area. No other life was seen in the waters, including no bluefish that showed up. The open trips, running every Wednesday through July, are a rare chance to fight sharks without reserving an entire charter. But charters are also available for sharks, Tom’s favorite fishing.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

No locals said they tried tuna fishing, and none mentioned shark fishing, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. But shark anglers were expected to begin scoping out the grounds this week in preparation for shark tournaments that will begin this weekend, including the Brett T. Bailey Mako Rodeo in Brielle.  

The season’s first shark charter with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant hunted down the monsters last week on Wednesday, the report on the boat’s Web site said. A 7-foot blue shark was released on the first drift. Winds dropped out, and the boat stopped moving, so the vessel got power-drifted with live bunker trolled in a chum slick, but only bluefish attacked. Drifting conditions improved, so the engines were cut, and the boat was set up to glide again, pushed only by the currents and breeze. Then it was game on! Two blue sharks quickly punched the baits, a live bluefish and a bluefish fillet, while the rods were being set out, and the 6- to 7-footers were landed. Three more blue sharks were caught and released, a total of six for the day. No makos showed up. Warm eddies were yet to push in to the local canyons so far. But tuna trolling will begin on the vessel when they do.

<b>Beach Haven Inlet</b>

It’s June, and fishing on the <b>June Bug</b> from Beach Haven is under way! Trips were only fishing for striped bass, bottom fish and fluke so far, Capt. Lindsay said. But anglers should consider trips for tuna and marlin early, though most anglers fish the canyons in late summer. The June Bug usually sails for the big game by the third or fourth weeks of June, and Lindsay’s gotten on some of the best catches of the season then, while few boats were on the grounds. Many days turned up healthy fishing for yellowfin tuna. An angler who chartered the boat this weekend wants to bottom fish, but the crew is going to get dialed in and see whether a bluefin tuna might be found on the inshore grounds.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

The first shark trip of the season belted 20 blue sharks to 125 pounds in 20 fathoms with <b>O-Beth Sportfishing</b> from Somers Point on Sunday, Capt. Eric said. No makos appeared, but should only be a matter of time. Bluefish swarmed around, and waters were probably 60 degrees.

Small bluefin tuna were found at 19-Fathom Lump and the Hot Dog, eating up sardines and butterfish, said T.C. from <b>Brennan Marine</b> from Somers Point in a fax.

<b>Townsends Inlet</b>

Sharks were fought off South Jersey, and a  110-pound mako was weighed in at a local boat rental, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City.  Bluefin tuna sped through the southern canyons, and nobody mentioned yellowfin tuna yet.

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>, from Sea Isle City, was eager to get back out for tuna fishing when the weather allowed, he said. He was weathered out this past weekend, but already ran one trip on the last weekend of May that trolled two bluefin tuna 25 and 40 pounds at Baltimore Canyon at the 100-fathom line, the year’s first tuna report on this site. Cloud cover prevented a satellite shot of ocean temps on the trip, and Joe felt he probably would’ve clobbered more of the fish with satellite info. Joe likes the early season, in recent years found some of the best tuna catches then, encourages anglers to go now, instead of waiting till later in the summer like many anglers do. The angler on the last trip was willing to take the chance on one of the first offshore trips of the year from the state, and he scored. The tuna hit in chilly, 61.7 degree waters, one on a rainbow spreader bar, and the other on a Black Bart lure. Joe wouldn’t be surprised if his next trips came across his first yellowfin tuna of the year. Yellowfins moved in early last year, and he saw similar signs this year that could bring them though. Trips are available. He also heard about an angler who missed a white marlin. Joe will also offer mixed-bag offshore fishing this summer, trolling for tuna in the mornings, then casting lures, bait or flies to mahi mahi in the afternoons. Offshore trips fish on either the Regulator or a 42-foot Liberty, depending on the number of anglers and type of fishing.  

<b>Hereford Inlet</b>

Shark fishing looked like it was picking up right on time, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> from Wildwood in an e-mail. Michael Bulifant weighed in a 243-pound thresher shark from a trip on the Big Bully from Wildwood. Mike Gillen battled aboard his first-ever mako, a 98-pounder, on his uncle Joe’s Y-Knot from Wildwood.  Shark bait, shark chum and all the equipment is stocked for shark season and the shark tournaments that will go down in the next weeks.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

The crew on the Bubuca fought a mako and eight blue sharks, before a big blue ate the chum bucket before they could get it away from the fish, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> from Cape May in a fax. Chris Patterson and gang on the Argent put the skids on two makos and four blue sharks at the Hooper wreck. The shop’s shark tournament will take place Saturday, June 20.   

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