<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

<b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b> from Belmar entered a nearly 200-pound mako shark in the Mako Fever tournament last Friday, Capt. Jared said. The 172-pounder was in fifth place, and 10 blue sharks were caught and released on the trip. Fin-Ominal won shark tournaments in recent years, including last year’s Brett T. Bailey Mako Rodeo. On Saturday Fin-Ominal landed a smaller mako that wasn’t entered. On Sunday a trip aboard released probably a 600-pound thresher shark 14 feet long and probably 30 blue sharks. An amazing day, Jared said. Waters remained beautiful for sharking during the trips. Large to small groups can fish aboard Fin-Ominal’s 50-foot boat. Up to 15 can fish aboard, and up to 23 can join cruises.

A charter competed in the shark tournaments during the weekend with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> from Neptune, Capt. Ralph said in an e-mail. Two small makos, a blue shark and a 200-pound tiger shark were nailed on Saturday, and the fishing was no good on Sunday. On another shark trip last Friday, five blue sharks to 200 or 250 pounds were beaten. Charters are available for sharks and bluefin tuna. An individual-reservation trip for cod offshore was moved to Saturday, July 16, originally scheduled for the previous Saturday.

A mako shark and a couple of blue sharks were landed on a trip that competed in Mako Mania on Sunday on the <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar, Capt. Mike said. A trip is booked to fish for bluefin tuna on the inshore ocean this weekend. The anglers might mix in sharking.

A bunch of small mako sharks were released Saturday while <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> from Belmar competed in Mako Mania, Capt. Pete said. None was entered, and the trip also trolled small bluefin tuna on ballyhoos, while attempting to catch bait for sharks. Waters were clear, good-looking and 71 or 72 degrees. That was according to the temperature gauge, and could’ve been off by a few degrees. Not a lot of life filled waters, but once a chum slick was started, sharks moved in.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Lots of anglers competed in shark tournaments during the weekend, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. Bluefin tuna fishing was good, mostly from the Atlantic Princess wreck to the Chicken Canyon. Many were trolled on squid spreader bars or ballyhoos. But a few anglers were able to jig them. Trolling for yellowfin tuna gave up lots of catches last week, but to the south. Wilmington Canyon was best, holding the most temperature breaks. A few blue marlin were landed.

A crew trip competed in Mako Mania on Sunday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, Capt. Ray said in an e-mail. They caught and released two makos, not large enough to enter. Mushin is also fishing for bluefin tuna on the midshore ocean and yellowfin tuna offshore. The last trips for both caught plenty, covered in the last report. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew prides themselves on the concept of professionalism and sharing the experience in outdoor adventures.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

A few bonito were mixed in on bluefish trips on the <b>Super Chic</b> from Barnegat Light, Capt. Ted said. The blues were smaller but abundant. The season’s first tuna trip, a daytime trolling one, is scheduled for mid July. Overnight tuna trips aboard usually concentrate on September and October. Currently, fishing at night would probably be about sharking, not tuna fishing. But tuna usually begin to bite at night by the end of July and through August. Overnight trips could sail for them as soon as the fishing was on. The 56-foot Super Chic can accommodate up to 25 passengers. Overnight tuna trips are limited to 10, and the boat sleeps 10 passengers.

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> from Barnegat: “I ran to Barnegat Ridge (Thursday) morning with my son Max (and my friend). Right off the hop we had good readings, slicks and chicks, and rods bending with 2- to 4-pound bonita. We were hi-speed trolling small daisy chains and cedar plugs. There were also small blues, but we stayed throttled up over 7 m.p.h., and that helped keep them off, and the bonita on … Bonita are delicious. Anyway you prepare tuna, you prepare bonita, including sashimi or seared ahi, my personal choices. (I’m) sailing 6-hour open-boat trips for bonita on Saturday and Sunday from 5 AM to 11 AM. (All fish are shared. Three-person max.)” From a previous, edited e-mail from Dave: “It was an awesome weekend of fishing. After a good bluefin tuna trolling trip (last week on) Thursday, I rode shotgun on my nephew Chris' boat, the Kaley Marie, out of Manasquan, (last) Friday, with my two sons, Nicholas, 13, and Maxwell, 11. We arrived at the Atlantic Princess wreck early, and started to catch tuna on the troll. The boys each got to do battle. After a good morning and four or five fish, we ran inshore for sharking. After just 10 minutes, a big blue shark put on a cool show, playing with our floats, swimming under the boat. The kids had seen this on NatGeo, but never in real life. Just when they thought their day was made, the deep line I was standing next to went screaming. I set up on what I was sure was a mako, but in a few moments a big thresher shark took to the air in an awesome display. Forty five minutes later, we had him boat side, and steamed in just before the storms. He hit the scales at 205 pounds. Saturday was a lay day. On Sunday, I ran the Hi Flier back out to the Atlantic Princess with Pete Menges and Bill Hirst. We went 3 for 3 on 30-pound bluefin tuna, their first tuna, trolling mostly spreader bars. Winds were light, seas were flat, and the fish were biting. Here's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJA-7kraV9w 
" target="_blank">video of Pete’s second tuna of the morning</a>.” Bluefin fishing is also available aboard on charters and open-boat trips. Call for info.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Plenty of yellowfin tuna were trolled at Wilmington and Baltimore canyons, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. Bigeye tuna were sometimes trolled there, and so were a few blue marlin. Nothing was heard about bluefin tuna closer to shore. Few local boaters shark fished anymore this season.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Little was heard about yellowfin tuna fishing offshore in winds this week, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. But reports should roll in this weekend, as boaters get back out. Satellite charts showed that the warm, perfect ball of waters that attracted yellowfins to Wilmington Canyon last week was gone. The waters now were more broken up. But yellowfins were jumping in the boat this season, and anglers will likely keep plowing them. The shop is loaded up with offshore baits like ballyhoos and tackle like Green Machines.

Besides the good catches of yellowfin tuna trolled recently, a few bigeye tuna were caught at Wilmington Canyon, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, from Sea Isle City, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishing for blue and white marlin was getting started at the canyons. Jersey Cape is fishing offshore.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

A trip on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May is slated to fish the inshore ocean Saturday, probably looking for bluefin tuna, Capt. George said. Lots of yellowfin tuna swam offshore at the canyons. But the anglers wanted to stay inshore. Bluefins supposedly roamed the inshore ocean, but the trip will see. The outing will probably head to waters like the Hot Dog. The anglers originally wanted to shark fish, but this was late in the season for sharking from Cape May. Warm waters usually push sharks like makos north by now. A friend who often shark fishes said the fishing was finished in the warmth.

Yellowfin tuna fishing was reportedly productive from Hudson Canyon to Poorman’s Canyon, Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b> from Cape May said. A few bluefin tuna showed up inshore. Bob was unsure about location, but guessed places like Massey’s Canyon.

Shark fishing for catches like makos seemed to slow down, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May. But thresher sharks probably kept chasing bunker schools, and sand tiger sharks, fish that must be released, probably swam Delaware Bay. Yellowfin tuna fishing was good last week, mostly toward Wilmington Canyon. The 40- to 60-pounders and a few blue marlin and white marlin were trolled. Winds kept offshore news scarce this week.

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