<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

Weathers’s been tough, and boats headed offshore for tuna on overnighters Monday to Tuesday in forecasts for light and variable winds, Capt. Mike from the <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar said. But forecasts were wrong, and the trips got smacked with relentless winds and seas. However, forecasts look good for Saturday to Sunday, and a tuna trip aboard is slated to steam to the canyons. Lots of canyon season remains.

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> from Neptune on Tuesday: “Going to have one of my favorite meals tonight: swordfish. Had a slow trip at the canyon (Sunday to Monday), but caught a nice sword and one tuna. Lost a few others at night. One was a really big one that pulled the hook not far
from the boat, after everyone got a chance to fight it.” Individual-reservation trips for tuna will fish Saturday to Sunday, October 6 to 7, and Sunday to Monday, October 14 to 15. Individual-rez trips for cod offshore are slated for Tuesday, October 23, and Monday, November 12.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

A bunch of false albacore and bonito and five mahi mahi to 20 pounds were smashed Saturday with the Corey charter on the <b>Big Kid</b> from Brielle, Capt. Ken said in a phone call Sunday. Fishing was weathered out that day on the boat because of winds. Canyon tuna fishing around then was hit or miss, not producing big numbers of fish like before. There was a bigeye tuna bite. Anglers heard about who overnighted at the canyons were skunked last Friday to Saturday. Among friends who trolled the canyons Saturday, one totaled two bigeyes, and another beat one bigeye, and another boxed three yellowfin tuna.

Was a challenging month for sailing between weather, but when trips got offshore with <b>Canyon Runner Sport Fishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, tuna fishing was stellar, an e-mail from Canyon Runner said Thursday. The last several overnighters at Hudson Canyon waxed 12 to 18 yellowfin tuna and longfin tuna apiece, plus swordfish and bigeye tuna, with Canyon Runner. The last trips on both of the company’s boats Monday to Tuesday totaled 40 tuna, two swords and more than 70 bites. Up to five bigeyes were caught in a trip this month, for a total of probably 25 or 30 for the season for Canyon Runner. An exact count will be gotten once the captains are back on land. A last-minute open-boat spot is available Saturday on the 48-foot Viking. “So some lucky person is going to get out with us … at the last minute,” the e-mail said. “Hope it’s you.” First come, first served. Call or e-mail to book. Two spots are available on an open trip Thursday to Friday on the 60-foot Ritchie Howell.

A small window of weather opened up, so a trip cruised to the Mudhole with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said last Friday. The crew had loaded the bait well with peanut bunker. First, the trip “busted off a nice fish,” the report said, on a trolled natural, mini cedar plug, in the wash. Then the anglers cracked false albacore to 8 pounds on the peanuts. Next the trip fished for mahi mahi at the lobster-pot buoys, landing the dolphin to 15 pounds. Annual, open-boat, mixed-bag trips are fishing offshore for tuna and catches like mahi mahi, swordfish and tilefish, all in one outing. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner. Call for info.

Bluefin tuna were pumped in at the Glory Hole and the Triple Wrecks, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. The season’s first giant bluefin tuna, a 900-pounder, was reported docked, at Staten Island. When trips had the weather to fish at the offshore canyons, yellowfin tuna fishing was fair at night, sometimes producing 2 to 5 per boat. Hudson Canyon’s East Elbow gave up some of the better catches, and a few came from the 100 Square. A few longfin tuna, yellowfins and bigeye tuna were trolled during daytime at the Hudson.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> from Barnegat: “They revamped the marine weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday to some light velocity winds from a very favorable angle. I will be running open-boat trips Saturday and Sunday (offshore). Saturday we’ll run to Barnegat Ridge for albacore and any other blue-water species we can find – i.e. bonita, skipjack, bluefin tuna or mahi. I plan on trolling and bait fishing with light tackle. Sunday we’ll set our sights for the Mud Hole, where there’ve been good reports of school bluefin tuna and mahi, along with false albacore. All good-fighting fish and some good table fare, with the tuna and mahi in the mix. Trolling and bait fishing on this trip, as well. Three-person maximum. All fish are shared. 6 AM to 2 PM each day. If the ocean is flat, I might set a course for the Mud Hole on Saturday, as well. If we wind up at Barnegat Ridge and have a good day Saturday, I will be back there Sunday, depending on what I hear from the boats who fish the Mud Hole. This will be a work in progress, dictated by sea condition, and the latest reports I can get, right up until we break the inlet. If you are interested in either day, please call me, don't e-mail, as I will not be on the computer. Look forward to seeing you on board.”

<b>Beach Haven Inlet</b>

On the <b>June Bug</b> from Beach Haven, a trip left port at 10 p.m. last Friday, arriving at Lindenkohl Canyon at 3 a.m., and began chunking for tuna, Capt. Lindsay said. One tuna bit and got off, just as daylight barely began. That was the only tuna bite on the trip, and no good catches were heard about on the radio. Two or three tuna that bit in a flurry, with one landed, on some boats was all that was heard about. The June Bug trolled in morning until 1 p.m., then was headed home. A mahi mahi crashed the spread. The storm last week on Tuesday seemed to change waters. During night on the June Bug, squid 5 or 6 inches schooled past. Before the storm, squid all different sizes, including large, were around. Anglers on the June Bug fished with the squid through the dark, but the bite came on a chunk of bait. Waters were 71 on the fishing grounds, and were 68 to 69 on the way to the grounds. Seas were calm, with a little swell, during the night fishing, and became sloppy on the way home.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Weather often kept boats from reaching offshore, said Ed from <b>Fin Atics</b> in Ocean City. But yellowfin tuna fishing was very good at Carteret Canyon on the chunk at night and on the troll during day, the last he heard.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Anglers planned to steam offshore for tuna on an overnight trip Saturday aboard, but forecasts were rough, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. He had planned to take them inshore instead, along 20-fathoms, to fish for mahi mahi. But winds turned out too strong for that even. The trip fished Delaware Bay instead, catching weakfish, croakers, kingfish and blues. But tuna trips are sailing.

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