<b>Sandy Hook</b>

Trips were focusing on bluefin tuna at the inshore grounds like the Mudhole and farther from the coast, but started getting weathered out from the weekend storms, said Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> from the Highlands. But the catches seemed to hold up, and friends got after them in the middle of the week, and Brian was waiting to hear results. Trips with Jersey Devil limited out on the tuna so far this season, and more were usually caught and released. Most of the fish were jigged on the boat, but some swiped sardines. The fishing previously happened around places like the Glory Hole, but some of the bluefins, and also yellowfins, now appeared at the Mudhole, closer to shore. In addition to charters, open-boat trips are running for the tuna, and call if interested, because the more anglers who want to go, the easier to arrange the trips.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

Capt. Tom from the <b>Nan Sea J</b> from Belmar heard about bluefin tuna and even yellowfin tuna waffled this week at the Mudhole, close to shore, he said. He was about to carve up sashimi from yellowfin somebody gave him from a trip. Call if interested in fishing for the tuna, including on open-boat trips. Overnight charters to the canyons will start in September.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Two anglers jumped aboard Tuesday to fish the inshore ocean, said the report on <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant’s Web site. On arrival the anglers started jigging, knocking out skipjacks and false albacore but not tuna. So they switched to fishing sardines, and a sizeable yellowfin tuna swiped the bait and was landed. Still, tuna fishing was slow, so the anglers switched to mahi mahi fishing to wait for tuna angling to heat up. Six gaffer mahi to 15 pounds were mugged. Then they returned to tuna fishing, and bluefins began to turn on. The anglers limited out on two, “then the fish ate everything—jigs, bait, it didn’t matter,” the report said. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for more fun, greater chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner. Trips are running for inshore pelagic, sometimes mixing in fishing like for big pollock at the wrecks. Canyon trips, including open-boat outings, will run for tuna and big game when that action amps up. See the boat’s home page for info on the open trips.

On the <b>Big Kid</b> from Brielle a trip competed in the Tuna Stakes tournament Monday and Tuesday at Hudson Canyon, banging out a bunch of white marlin, a 300-pound blue marlin and tilefish, Capt. Ken said. On the way home the anglers stopped at the inshore grounds, limiting out on two bluefin tuna. The boat was headed back to the canyons yesterday.

Both bluefin and yellowfin tuna started swarming at the Mudhole, closer to shore than before, and the fish were definite keepers, didn’t need to be measured, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. He heard about bluefins to 80 pounds and yellowfins to 50 pounds beaten. Mahi mahi also swam there, and a few white marlin even showed up. Farther offshore at the canyons, marlin fishing was outstanding, mostly for whites but also some blues, and big mahi were around. Tuna were sometimes nabbed at the canyons, but tuna fishing there was yet to become great. All the yellowfins might’ve been inshore. The big offshore news was that Dennis Muhlenforth from Hockessin, Del., last week weighed in a 63-1/2-pound tilefish, a pending world and state record, from a party boat canyon trip. At the near-shore lumps bonito, false albacore, Spanish mackerel and such fish put light tackle to the test, though bonito fishing was better a couple of weeks ago.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

With <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b> from Barnegat Light, Jay Simmons, Joe Franke and Wayne Salvi broke the inlet on an open-boat trip for pelagics, Capt. Steve said in an e-mail. The fishing took some searching around, but then the anglers jumped on solid action with false albacore. Skipjacks, frigate mackerel and big blues were in the mix. Deep-trolling with spoons worked best at first. Then feathers dragged toward the surface, right in the prop wash, gained more strikes. The feathers also produced the most visual, exciting action. After the anglers had their fill of the trolling, they fished inshore at the reef and Barnegat Inlet.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

Capt. T.J. and <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> from Tuckerton ran no offshore trips in the past days, and he heard little about offshore, except that boaters supposedly found a bite at Carteret Canyon this week, he said. But that was second-hand. He knew anglers who fished farther south, including at Lindenkohl Canyon, who found slower fishing. Flounder trips fished with Legal Limit this week.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

False albacore, Spanish mackerel and snapper blues were trolled non-stop 8 miles from shore with <b>Stray Cat Charters</b> from Longport in the last several days, Capt. Mike said. Now was a great time for the inshore trolling. A charter was supposed to fish the canyons this weekend but will get cancelled because of the storm.

Not a lot of news was around, because last weekend’s hurricane kept most anglers from fishing until Tuesday, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Wildwood. Only a handful of customers fished offshore during the week, mostly trolling white marlin and a few mahi mahi.

Hurricane Bill kept boaters from sailing through the beginning of the week, but through the middle of last week a couple of reports rolled in, said T.C. from <b>Brennan Marine</b> in Somers Point. Mike Boehler and John Hickenbothem before the storm fished the Elephant Trunk, trolling two 18-1/2- and 12-1/2-pound mahi mahi. Rich Skretowski also fished the Trunk, trolling a 60-pound white marlin and a 30-pound mahi.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Mike Jarvis and Tom Breazle ran to Lindenkohl Canyon on a trip Tuesday, and Mike released his first-ever white marlin, and a couple of more whites were raised in the trolling spread without getting hooked, and a mahi mahi was landed, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. Joe heard about one or two tuna boated in the area, and a 70-pounder was nailed on a nearby boat. Waters were 72 degrees, blue and great-looking with scattered weeds. Joe’s offshore trips were looking for breaks in water color to find fish, instead of searching for temperature breaks that were nonexistent. Open-boat trips are sailing offshore weekly, usually on Wednesdays, but sometimes on other days, depending on the weather and when anglers can go, and the trips are a learning experience. Offshore charters are available that troll for tuna or other big game during the mornings and cast bait, lures or flies to mahi at the lobster pots during the afternoons.

Tuna were finally bagged at the canyons on a trip Monday, according to the report on <b>Over Under Adventures</b> from Avalon’s Web site. The boat arrived at Toms Canyon at 5 p.m., and the fishing began slowly. Two tuna bit on the troll at the East Wall without being hooked. A 150-pound swordfish was seen among bait but refused the trolling spread. Two hammerhead sharks were also seen. The boat moved to the 830 and 840 lines, and a dozen 60- to 70-pound tuna were smoked. “Real nice,” the report said. The tuna were up on the surface, swimming near billfish. Ten white marlin and two blue marlin were seen, and the marlin held in 90 to 110 fathoms, while the tuna stayed in 80 to 100 fathoms. The previous report from the site, posted on the weekend, asked, “Where are the tuna?” Trips with Over Under remained about the same as before through then, mostly fighting white marlin, numerous caught on each outing. No tuna bit last week, and the crew hoped last week’s hurricane would stir things up, pulling cooler waters to the surface. Squid schooled, and the fish were all that were needed. Trips were postponed during the storm, but the previous trip fished Wilmington Canyon, knocking down three whites and a couple of mahi mahi. Four overnight trips and one 48-hour trip were slated this week, and the crew hoped the overnight fishing began on those days. Lots of reports should become available from the fishing. Both charters and open-boat trips are fishing offshore, and see Over Under's Web site for availability on the open trips.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

False albacore, probably 35 of the fish, slammed the trolling spread, two and three knock downs at a time, on a trip Wednesday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May, Capt. George said. A couple of Spanish mackerel and a load of blues were also trolled, and the charter first fished at the East Lump, a little more than 20 miles offshore, somewhat farther from the coast than inshore trolling trips usually sail. The albies and Spanish were nailed in rough seas at the Lump. Then the trip moved inshore to 5-Fathom Bank, clobbering the blues in calm seas. Inshore trolling was hopping this year, and the Heavy Hitter is also fishing the canyons. Only have three or four anglers for a trip instead of six to create a full charter? Call George, because he can probably put you together with other anglers on a make-up trip during mid week.

Boaters at 5-Fathom Bank and the inshore lumps found productive trolling for lots of false albacore, small blues, a few Spanish mackerel and mahi mahi but no tuna so far, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May. Wahoos were around but usually bit off the mono leaders. Some anglers fished wire or cable on deep-running lures with varied success. Art Jennings whacked a 32-pound wahoo while trolling at the Cigar. Farther from shore, tuna fishing was yet to really turn on, but white marlin, bigger mahi and a few larger wahoos swam the canyons. The crew on the Wave Dancer landed two whites, three gaffer mahi and a 36-pound wahoo at Lindenkohl Canyon. Tom McCarthy released his first-ever white at Spencer Canyon.

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