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New Jersey Offshore Fishing Report 8-17-12


<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

The <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar was motored out for an inshore trip for bluefin tuna Wednesday, though the trip was actually quite a ride, Capt. Mike said. Tuna were caught there a few days previously, but none showed up on the trip. Many boaters found none, and not much was marked on the fish finder, and not much life filled waters, on the trip. One trip on another boat landed three, sticking out the fishing all day. So the Katie H was stopped on the reef on the way back, so the anglers could at least catch something. Some good-sized sea bass and a bunch a fluke were reeled in. A one-day trolling trip for yellowfin tuna to the canyons was weathered out Saturday. An overnight trip to the canyons is slated for this Saturday to Sunday.

Two 40-pound tuna were landed on one of the Belmar party boats fishing for bluefish, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> in Belmar said in an e-mail.

Three or four run-offs from tuna broke off on bluefish trips at the Mudhole on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, Karin said. A few false albacore were mixed in with catches. A 20-pound cod was even pumped aboard. Big, jumbo bluefish to 17 pounds, lots, were tackled.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Football bluefin tuna 15 or 20 pounds, skipjacks and lots of bonito swarmed Sea Girt Reef, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle on Sunday. Bigger bluefins gathered at the Corvallis wreck. Farther from shore, yellowfin tuna were caught at Hudson Canyon one day, and none the next. Ninety-percent were trolled during daytime, on the usual green machine spreader bars or ballyhoos. Yellowfins were chunked at night at the canyon on occasion. But they were caught less consistently at night. 

<b>Beach Haven Inlet</b>

One of the mates from the <b>June Bug</b> from Beach Haven competed in last week’s White Marlin Open on another vessel, Capt. Lindsay said. Entrants this year for the first time could sail from any place, not just Ocean City, Maryland, so long as they weighed in fish at Ocean City or Cape May. The mate’s trips fished last week on Wednesday and Thursday at Lindenkohl Canyon, and the fishing was slow. His final trip sailed to Washington Canyon last Friday, landing a 222-pound bigeye tuna. The mate was headed back offshore Sunday to overnight at Toms Canyon, because reports about good catches of yellowfin tuna and bigeyes were heard from there. Fish that had bitten at Baltimore and Washington canyons seemed to be moving north. Lindsay hoped, anyway.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Not much was heard about tuna, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b> from Ocean City. A little bit of a bite, from medium-sized yellowfin tuna, was trolled last week at the Elephant Trunk. A few tuna were supposedly caught farther north, not as far offshore as Hudson Canyon. Fewer white and blue marlin were boated than before, but decent numbers were landed, reportedly at southern canyons like the Baltimore.  

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

One trip landed a 70-inch wahoo at the Lobster Claw in a double-header that hit, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. The other wahoo got off, couldn’t be stopped. White marlin were sporadically caught at the canyons. A bunch would be leadered at a canyon one day, and none the next. Nothing solid.

Tuna fishing was typical for August, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> from Sea Isle City, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. On some days the fish were caught, and on other days they weren’t. Yellowfin tuna were chunked inshore, and a few were decked offshore. White marlin fishing was strong if the right waters were found.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Fishing for tuna was “sketchy,” Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn said. He usually tuna fishes once a week but cancelled this week, because too few were reported caught. Good fishing for white marlin happened, but a long trip away. Big Timber carries bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

A few trips ran for tuna Monday that were known about, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. Two bagged one tuna apiece, and the other caught none. Some people called about fishing overnight for tuna, but George recommended they wait a moment for the fishing to turn on, like it usually does. But that could happen any time, usually starting in late August. Lots of white marlin swam offshore, if anglers wanted to sail for them.

Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May fished offshore Wednesday on a trip that landed a couple of white marlin and some bull mahi mahi, he said. Little was reported about tuna except about some chunked a bit to the north at a place anglers wouldn’t like mentioned. Somewhere around the Cigar, would be okay to say, Nick said. The fish seemed to bite in mid afternoon.

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