New Jersey Fishing Reports

Boaters returned to the bluefin tuna grounds on the inshore ocean during the weekend after the storm, catching the fish, said Capt. Brian from Jersey Devil Charters from the Highlands. So if trips with Jersey Devil get the weather, they should battle the tuna. Anglers on the boat limited out on the bluefins on each outing so far, and Jersey Devil is focusing on the fishery. Both charters and open-boat trips are running after them, and call if interested in the open trips, because the more who can go, the easier to schedule the fishing.

Great catches of bluefin tuna were nailed Sunday to Tuesday during the window of sailable weather, said Capt. Derek from Fisher Price Charters from the Highlands. The weather was the only thing holding back trips, but his charters are sailing for them, and he’s supposed to head out for the tuna this weekend.

Shark River Inlet

A tuna trip 40 miles from shore on Saturday, the day after the storm, had no luck, said Capt. Ralph from Last Lady Fishing Charters from Neptune. Two other boats fished the area, landing one tuna apiece. Two spots are open on an overnight, canyon tuna trip from Wednesday to Thursday. An individual-reservation cod trip was supposed to fish offshore today, and the past four of the trips shellacked cod to 40 pounds, including many 15- to 20-pounders. If the fishing holds up today, more of the cod trips will be scheduled, and charters will remain available.

A canyon tuna trip was cancelled that was supposed to fish Monday to Tuesday on the Golden Eagle from Belmar, Capt. Greg said in an e-mail. Reports said the fishing was slow except at the northern canyons out of range from the port. But a 36-hour Iron Man tuna trip is still scheduled for this Monday to Wednesday, and four spaces are available. See the boat’s Web site for the tuna schedule.

Manasquan Inlet

Anglers on a combo bluefin tuna/wreck fishing trip broke the inlet Tuesday with Andrea’s Toy Charters from Point Pleasant, the report on the boat’s Web site said. At the first attempt to rustle up bluefins, a ton of false albacore attacked. So the trip moved farther offshore, and more albies showed up, and skipjacks were mixed in. But a bluefin, a 27-incher, making the 27-inch to less than 47-inch slot limit, was finally landed. The anglers fought more albies, so the trip moved again. A bluefin in the larger slot limit, 47 inches to less than 73 inches, was hammered on a sardine, and the boat’s limit of two was bagged. Next the trip fished at a wreck, and two pollock 25 and 35 pounds were butterfly jigged. Andrea’s Toy is fishing for bluefins on the inshore ocean and specializes in mixed-bag fishing, like the combo tuna and wreck trip, for more fun, greater chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner.

On the Big Kid from Brielle a charter limited out on bluefin tuna 50 miles from shore on Monday on trolled ballyhoos, Capt. Ken said. So the fish were still out there after the storm, and that was a relief. A friend nabbed a bunch of false albacore over the weekend and marked fish several miles east of the Atlantic Princess wreck that looked like bluefins, and before Monday’s trip, that was the only recent news Ken heard about the tuna. The weather often forced tuna trips to be cancelled. Bluefin charters will continue, and overnight, canyon tuna trips are running.

The boat managed to sail on an overnight trip to Hudson Canyon from Saturday to Sunday, once the weather broke after the storm, said Capt. Mike from the Katie H from Brielle. But the trip stopped at the bluefin tuna grounds on the way out, trolling a small one and a bunch of skipjacks. The charter also stopped at the lobster pots on the way out, clobbering 50 mahi mahi from 3 to 15 pounds. At first the anglers pitched bait to the dolphin, and then trolled more. At night the boat was set up on the chunk at the East Elbow of the Hudson, and the fishing was slow, terrible, and seemed so for everyone, and nothing bit. In the early morning other boats reportedly caught a few tuna at the 100 Square. But the mahi saved the trip and were ferocious after the storm. The anglers were given the option of fishing only on the bluefin grounds, but wanted to head to the canyons. The Hudson was 73 degrees where the boat fished, and Mike heard about a temperature break at the 100 Square. The trip on the way to the canyon met an 8-foot swell that eventually diminished, until seas mostly calmed by night. On the way home the fleet at the bluefin grounds sounded like they caught fish or that most boats limited out. More overnight trips were slated to fish the canyons Thursday to today and this Saturday to Sunday. Don’t have enough anglers for a full canyon charter? Call Mike, and he can probably book an individual space on a make-up trip.

Absecon Inlet

Six or seven yellowfin tuna to 30 pounds, none big, were chunked in the dark on an overnight canyon trip last week on the Fishin’ Fever from Brigantine, Capt. Tom said. A swordfish probably 125 pounds picked up a bait on a light leader meant for tuna, though heavier lines for swordfish were in the waters, and was fought until nearly to the boat before it broke off, apparently chafing through the line with its bill. The anglers also went 1 for 6 on white marlin, four on the troll on the first afternoon, and two on the troll on the next morning. The chunking was done on the drift, and all the fish on the chunk bit on the first drift. The second drift came across waters that warmed to 83 degrees from 78, and that shut the fishing right down. Waters were clear, blue and beautiful, and squid, not a lot, sometimes swam through. So white marlin fishing was decent at the canyons, and scattered yellowfins were around. No mahi mahi showed up on the trip, but a fair population of mahi were around, and a buddy saw more on a trip the other day than he ever saw. The good news about the canyons was that warm eddies began moving south instead of north like before. So the fish-holding waters to the north like at the Atlantic Princess and the Chicken Canyon, where bluefin tuna roamed, should move south or closer to Brigantine. In addition to canyon overnighters, the boat is fishing on 12-hour trolling trips to 30 fathoms for a mixed bag of fish that could show up. Some bluefin tuna showed up to the south in those depths, and scattered yellowfins were around, and white marlin, wahoos and mahi might bite. Closer to shore, inshore trolling trips for fish like false albacore are running.

Great Egg Harbor Inlet

The weather mostly shut down offshore fishing, said T.C. from Brennan Marine from Somers Point in a fax. But Chris Lutz and crew fished Toms Canyon early last week, tackling eight yellowfin tuna 30 pounds and larger, mostly on the chunk and on jigs, but some on the troll. They also trolled 10 mahi mahi in the 10-pound class from the Toms to Lindkenkohl Canyon.

Few fished offshore fishing because of the weather, said Bill from Fin-Atics from Ocean City. But one crew tackled a couple of yellowfin tuna and a blue marlin more than 1,000 pounds at Carteret Canyon.

Townsend’s Inlet

Winds forced an offshore trip to be nixed on Saturday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service and Gibson’s Tackle in Sea Isle City. Not much was heard about canyon fishing because of the weather, but satellite charts showed that canyon temps dropped a lot to 72 degrees from the previous 78 degrees. The season was early for a temperature that low.

Cape May Inlet

False albacore, a bunch, and a couple of small yellowfin tuna that were released were trolled in 20 fathoms on Sunday with Jaftica Sportfishing from Cape May, Capt. Ray said. Some wahoos bit off lines, and lines with wire leaders were in the spread for the fish, but the ‘hoos attacked ballyhoos on monofilament. Spoons, feathers and jets were also trolled. Another trip will sail for this fishing Saturday, and overnight tuna trips are on the schedule. Scattered yellowfins are around, and if a trip runs across them, the fish are caught. A few bluefin tuna might be coming through again, on the migration south.

All trips, including an overnight, canyon tuna trip slated for Saturday to Sunday, stayed in port because of the weather since last week, said Capt. Bob from the Down Deep from Cape May. The storm began to diminish by Saturday, but forecasts called for too much winds to fish the canyons. Bob hoped the weather at least stirred up the canyons and helped fishing. An inshore trolling trip was on the books for mid week. No results were heard yet, but previously the trips on the boat banged out fish like false albacore, Spanish mackerel, mahi mahi and blues. Another overnight canyon trip is slated for Saturday to Sunday.

Boats from Delaware beat fairly good catches of yellowfin tuna at the Hot Dog early last week, but no word rolled in about the fish since then, said Matt from Jim’s Bait & Tackle from Cape May in a fax. But reports were heard about white marlin and mahi mahi plowed on Saturday just north of Wilmington Canyon between 100 and 300 fathoms. Reports about catches of whites and mahi also rolled in recently from the Toms and Carteret canyons, out of reach for most Cape May boats. False albacore were fought from the East Lump to the Northeast Lump and at Sea Isle Ridge last week, and anglers were waiting to hear whether they were still out there.