<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

An overnight trip steamed for tuna to Hudson Canyon from Friday to Saturday on the <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar, Capt. Mike said. Trolling during daytime was slow, but the trip went 5 for 7 on yellowfins at night. The tuna, “a good 50 pounds (apiece),” Mike said, were picked steadily, until a big shark showed up in the chunking slick. That seemed to make the tuna depart. Waters were clean, 79 degrees and held lots of life, including whales and porpoises. Not many boats, only a few, were seen on the fishing grounds. Closer to shore, bluefin tuna fishing seemed to slow down compared with previously, though waters looked good. Anglers on a boat from the docks caught some during the weekend, but the bluefins seemed scattered. A one-day trolling trip is set to fish for tuna at the canyons Saturday. If canyon trolling sounds slow, the trip will probably fish for bluefins closer to the coast.  

Bluefin tuna, a good catch, were fought Wednesday on the inshore ocean with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> from Neptune, Capt. Ralph said. The fish were trolled, but most anglers baited or jigged them now. Yellowfin tuna fishing could be good farther from shore at the canyons. Charters are available for inshore and canyon tuna.

One trip tried for bluefin tuna aboard the inshore ocean this past week, but nothing was doing, said Capt. Jared from <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b> from Belmar. Bonito, false albacore, skipjacks and a bluefish were trolled. So the trip began shark fishing, and a great hammerhead, Jared believed, was landed. He’s caught plenty of hammerheads but never a great hammerhead before. The fish was 6 feet, and blue sharks and a small mako were also pumped in and released. Waters were very clear. The next tuna trip is set to fish at the canyons in 1 ½ weeks.

A 70-pound yellowfin tuna was plastered on a bluefish trip on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, Capt. Alan said. Trips on a couple of other head boats caught 30- or 40-pounders on the bluefish grounds. “Yellowfins, not bluefins,” Alan said.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Two bigeye tuna were heaved aboard last week with <b>Canyon Runner Sport Fishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, an e-mail from Canyon Runner said. Fourteen or 15 bigeyes – the crew might’ve  lost count – were decked so far this season on the company’s trips. Tuna fishing “isn’t exactly red hot,” the e-mail said, “but we seem to keep running over a couple of bigeyes.” Trips on other boats sometimes scored great catches of yellowfin tuna at Hudson Canyon on Friday night. The crew hoped “that (signaled) the beginning of the chunking season,” the e-mail said. But the fishing was slow for Canyon Runner on Monday night, “so who knows,” it said. The trip then ran inshore and caught bluefin tuna. Trips with Canyon Runner last week sometimes totaled six or eight yellowfins. But many trips aboard only landed one to three. The two bigeyes were caught last week on Monday and Thursday, one trolled on a Canyon Runner spreader bar, the other trolled on a ballyhoo with a Joe Schute skirt. Very few openings remain for charters and open-boat trips until September, but some do. Call promptly.

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach motored to Hudson Canyon at 10 p.m. Tuesday to chunk for tuna a few hours at night before trolling for them during daytime, Capt. Ray said. The trip arrived at the East Wall in the dark, began chunking “as hard as possible,” Ray said, and the fish finder didn’t read much. One fish, maybe a shark, picked up a bait and broke off. Up on the troll in the morning, tuna fishing was very slow. A 50-pound yellowfin tuna and a bunch of mahi mahi were landed. The trip switched to tilefishing to save the day, and did. A very good catch of golden tilefish and blueline tilefish was pumped in. Five or six pushed 20 pounds. Waters at the canyon were very warm, 78 or 79 degrees, and “homogenous,” Ray said. Not many temperature breaks were around to concentrate tuna. A few were caught, and boaters just had to run over them. “But you’re not going to run over them at the dock,” Ray said. Lots of mammals including whales filled waters. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.

One of the open-boat, mixed-bag trips for big game pointed the bow to the canyons with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, a report said Saturday on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site. The trip arrived at the fishing grounds at night, and a coin was flipped to decide the side of the canyon to fish. The choice was good, and three sizeable yellowfin tuna to 60 pounds were chunked, and so was a nice-sized hammerhead shark “to keep us on our toes,” the report said. Up on the troll in the morning, no tuna bit in a few hours. The anglers decided to throw in the towel, and drift for tilefish. “Good call,” the report said. More than 20 tiles, both bluelines and goldens, were cranked in, including double-headers. Then the trip tried for mahi mahi at the lobster pot buoys. Mahi were seen at every buoy, but had “lockjaw,” the report said, and the trip headed back to port. “Fun day,” it said. Andrea’s Toy specializes in the unique trips this time of year.  See <a href="http://www.andreastoycharters.com" target="_blank">Andrea’s Toy’s home page</a> for a write-up about them, or call for info.

Bluefin tuna fishing was kind of hit or miss, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle on Sunday. Some anglers scored well 50 miles from shore, not telling where, but there was a location that wasn’t the usual, most popular one. Some other areas didn’t turn up such good bluefinning. Yellowfin tuna sometimes pushed inshore to the bluefin grounds. Dave heard from two trips that each trolled no bluefins when trying for them but caught decent-sized yellowfins. Farther from shore, some trips nailed good catches of yellowfins at Hudson Canyon on the troll. Many customers dragged The Reel Seat’s green machine spreader bars to connect. Some caught at night on the chunk at the Hudson, and others did not. A few swordfish were landed there at night. A fair number of bigeye tuna were caught, and a few shots at blue marlin were had, at the canyon. 

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> from Barnegat: “I am taking a break from the offshore fishing this week, as the weather seems too erratic for my small craft. Besides, I did two zeros last week, one at the Monster Ledge on Friday, and a short effort at Barnegat Ridge on Saturday. No life, no birds, no readings. So we came back inside, and, in the middle of the day, with boats and jet skis running through my slick, we caught weakfish (on Barnegat Bay). I will be running two (open-boat trips and charters) a day (through the weekend) for weakfish and all the other species that gather in our live-grass-shrimp chum slick. That fishing has been excellent ....Call, don't e-mail, if you would like a spot. Thank you.”

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Any yellowfin tuna caught, a few, were chunked around 30 fathoms far to the south, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. Wasn’t great. However, a few yellowfins were actually landed at Ocean City Reef. Several reports were heard. White marlin were fought far to the south, like at Washington Canyon.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Yellowfin tuna were chunked during daytime here and there at the Hot Dog, 19-Fathom Lump and 40-Fathom Fingers, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> from Sea Isle City, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. White marlin fishing was great but far from port, about 100 miles. Jersey Cape is fishing for both.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Fishing for yellowfin tuna was on and off, chunking for the fish in 30 fathoms, far to the south, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> from Cape May. Good catches were pasted last week.

Tuna fishing slowed but should pick back up, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b> from Cape May.

A tuna charter was weathered out Sunday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May, because of forecasts for winds, Capt. George said. Winds blew 25 knots, and most tuna catches seemed to come from 20 to 30 fathoms. Yellowfins were chunked during daytime.

Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May fished offshore Wednesday, seeing lots of boats along the 100-fathom line, probably fishing for marlin, he said. Maryland’s White Marlin Open tournament was taking place. If yellowfin tuna were caught, they were probably chunked at the notch of the Hot Dog. Flats of butterfish and sardines, trolling ballyhoos and squid and other baits are stocked.

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