<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

On the <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar, anglers competed in the Mako Mania tournament Saturday and Sunday, Capt. Mike said. Blue sharks were fought and released, and a couple of mako sharks and a thresher shark got off. During Saturday’s trip, a mako was fought a while, but wasn’t hooked solidly, and got off. A big thresher also punched a bait, seemed hooked solidly, but eventually came off. On Sunday, another mako was fought, this time hooked solidly on a double-hooked rig, but eventually spit the rig. The boat drifted a little slowly, didn’t cover much ground. Waters were 67 degrees, a good temperature. They were greenish, but full of life, and whales and turtles were seen. A few bluefin tuna broke the water surface on both trips. The anglers had fun, Mike said.  Customers are saying they want to sail for bluefins, and Mike hopes fishing for them picks up. Daytime trolling trips for tuna usually begin in July aboard. Overnight trips for tuna will begin in August. Bluefish were hardly available for bait for sharks this weekend. But they were scarce this time last year. A few bluefish showed up toward the end of Sunday’s trip on the Katie H, getting hooked on the baits.

Yellowfin tuna were boated far south at Wilmington and Baltimore canyons, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> from Belmar. Bluefin tuna began to appear off the local coast, and he hopes fishing for them keeps picking up. Shark fishing is on, and Parker Pete’s is sailing for them. If bluefins can be caught, trips will get after them. Yellowfin fishing aboard will begin later this season, when the fish move within range.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Trips that tried for bluefin tuna caught well, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. Some fished for them around Chicken Canyon, and others sailed for them inshore of there, and most landed the tuna. The bite was in early mornings, and trolled ballyhoos and spreader bars hooked them. Anglers who mentioned fishing with cedar plugs, at least those Dave heard from, said the lures didn’t catch. One customer who shark fished had bluefins show up, and three were jigged on the trip. Farther offshore, the only tuna heard about came from Wilmington and Baltimore canyons. Yellowfin tuna but also a good number of bigeye tuna were decked there. Many who competed in the weekend’s shark tournaments nailed plenty. One customer’s trip landed seven mako sharks, and another’s landed three makos and four thresher sharks. Lots of blue sharks were fought, and sharkers seemed to find action every place fished. Lots of offshore tackle arrived at the shop.

With <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, one of the mixed-bag, mid-shore trips fished, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said Saturday. Trolling for bluefin tuna was tried first, but not much life filled waters. So the trip switched to wreck-fishing, jigging a few cod. Next, shark fishing was attempted, but winds hardly blew, preventing the boat from drifting much. Still, a 10-foot blue shark was fought and released. Then the anglers wreck-fished again, cranking up more cod to 15 pounds. The annual mixed-bag trips, both charters and open-boat, target fish that can include bluefins, sharks, cod and pollock. Later this season, the trips will push all the way offshore, fishing overnight for catches that can include yellowfin tuna, sharks, swordfish, mahi mahi and tilefish. Telephone if interested, and Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up, and more variety for dinner.

Anglers aboard competed in the Mako Mania and Mako Fever tournaments Saturday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, Capt. Ray said. They fished far offshore, 3 hours out, beyond Chicken Canyon, to avoid crowds. Large blue sharks were wrestled in, and because no mako shark was landed in time to make weigh in, the trip fished longer, to give the charter an opportunity to bag a mako to eat. That almost paid off in a big way. A 300-pound mako was hooked and fought. Forty minutes later, the fish was near boat-side, almost within leadering range, several times. Then the fish jumped, landed on the line, and broke off. The anglers took some great video that Mushin hopes to post on the vessel’s Web site soon. On Sunday, another group of anglers competed in the same shark tournaments. The trip sailed to where the previous evening’s sharking left off. A few large blue sharks were released, and so was a 150-pound mako. Then a larger mako was kept, but didn’t place in the tournaments. More offshore trips were booked for the next week. In addition to sharks, the crew hopes to angle tuna and tilefish soon. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Shark fishing was good at places like 28-Mile Wreck, 750-Square and the Cigar, Jake from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City said. Plenty of makos and big threshers roamed, and a 600-pound 18-foot thresher was boated Tuesday at 28-Mile Wreck. Not many bluefin tuna swam areas like that. A few were in, if anglers could find them. Many yellowfin tuna, but small, schooled canyons to the south, like the Baltimore and the Wilmington. Most of the yellowfins were 30 to 40 inches during the weekend.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

One group checked in a 152-pound mako shark last week at <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City, the store’s blog said. That was the weight after the 78-incher, from nose to fork in tail, was cleaned. The trip, fishing 27 miles off Sea Isle, also released a thresher shark and a brown shark, broke off two threshers and had another mako swim around the boat. Shark fishing was in full swing, the blog said then. However, Mike, the shop’s owner, heard nothing about sharks this week, he said in a phone call. Brown and dusky sharks filled waters from the surf out to 6 miles or so. But nothing was heard about makos and threshers from farther offshore this week. Yellowfin tuna fishing sounded good at Wilmington Canyon. Sometimes bigeye tuna were busted in the area.

The year’s first offshore trip sailed last Friday aboard with John Martin, Gary Balog and Jay VonCzoernig, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> from Sea Isle City, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The trip went 4 for 4 on yellowfin tuna to 40 pounds and also landed skipjacks on the troll at Baltimore Canyon. Most bites came on ballyhoos, and waters were full of life, including lots of whales, though the water color wasn’t great. The waters were 63 to 67 degrees. Joe heard about no bluefin tuna closer to shore. He’s also been chartering inshore shark trips for catches like browns and duskies, required to be released. The angling’s been great on the first several trips, like with Jason and Brooke Berner on Tuesday. They released 15 duskies, including three larger than 100 pounds, and a brown. Fishing with mackerel fillets on spinning rods, they began to catch within 15 minutes. Charters also fly fish for the sharks. The trips, usually within 10 miles from shore, are a chance to pull on large fish without the long trek offshore.  See photos and keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Yellowfin tuna fishing sounded okay at Baltimore and Wilmington canyons, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. A few friends fished at both places, and some loaded up on the tuna, and others boated none. The fishing seemed like that, and one friend found no tuna, but pumped in a bunch of tilefish. Others returned with 15 or seven yellowfins, or numbers like that. The Heavy Hitter will sail for the fish, as long as the tuna remain.

The season’s first tuna trip, an open boat, was supposed to fish Sunday on the <b>Down Deep</b> from Cape May, Capt. Mario said. But the trip was postponed to this Sunday, because reports were mixed about the fishing last week. Sign up for the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s Web site to be kept informed about dates for open trips. Also see open dates listed on the site for the near future.

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