<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

News about bluefin tuna had been quiet, Capt. Mike from the <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar said during the weekend. But a couple of boats from the docks sailed for them during the weekend, but were yet to return by the time Mike left.

Bluefin tuna fishing was phenomenal Wednesday, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> from Belmar. The fish were trolled and jigged 50 or 60 miles from shore, so bluefins started to swim within range for charters. Previously, during the weekend, Pete said bluefins had begun to be found again at Chicken Canyon, and the angling sounded hit or miss then.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

An angler on an annual “fill the freezer trip” sailed aboard, a report on <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant Beach’s Web site said Saturday. He first reeled in a half-dozen cod at a wreck. Then the trip tried for bluefin tuna. The 72-degree waters were clean but green, and when no tuna showed up after a couple of hours, the trip fished another couple of wrecks. Sea bass and ling were boxed, and the trip sailed back to port. Andrea’s Toy is fishing on annual mixed-bag trips, open-boat and charters, that can target catches including tuna, mahi mahi, tilefish, cod, pollock and more, all in one outing. The crew specializes in mixed-bag fishing.

A few boaters still shark fished, sometimes catching a mako, “depending on how far they went,” said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle during the weekend. Thresher sharks were landed, and hammerhead sharks started to show up. Bluefin tuna were boated early last week, but 60 miles offshore, he said at the time. Yellowfin tuna, a few bigeye tuna and some mahi mahi were cranked from the 100 Square at Hudson Canyon. But the best tuna fishing remained farther south.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

An open-boat, offshore tilefish trip, the second this season on the <b>Super Chic</b> from Barnegat Light, became full that’s slated for August 4, Capt. Ted said. He’s unsure whether more will be scheduled, and the angling was very good on the last outing, for a mix of goldens and bluelines, covered in a previous report. Most tuna were boated far to the south, and Ted hopes they move north, especially for later this summer, when trips aboard especially get after them. The 56-foot boat can accommodate up to 25 anglers on inshore trips and 10 on overnight, offshore trips. The vessel sleeps 10 passengers.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Tuna were sporadically boated at Baltimore and Wilmington canyons, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. But if anglers really wanted to catch tuna, Washington Canyon was loaded with yellowfins and some bigeyes. Trips landed 30 and 40 yellowfins apiece there. If anglers wanted to fish closer to port, bluefin tuna were hooked at areas like Massey’s Canyon and 19-Fathom Lump. Catching them on the troll, the chunk and jigs, all ways, was heard about.

Tuna fishing, for a mix of bluefins and yellowfins, was hot at the Hot Dog, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were trolled, chunked and jigged, or caught all ways. Tuna catches were heard about from the southern canyons, and Washington Canyon turned out lots, anglers said.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May jumped on a friend’s boat on a trip Tuesday to Wednesday to see what tuna fishing was like farther south at Washington Canyon, he said. Bluefin tuna are biting closer to Cape May, at the southern lumps like the Hot Dog, and the Heavy Hitter is catching them. But on the trip to the Washington, four yellowfin tuna were decked, and four got off, early in the morning, before sunup, on the chunk. The fishing seemed best on the chunk – or on bait while trips chummed with chunks of bait in the dark – for the fleet. George was sure that if the trip had arrived at the Washington earlier in the night, like at midnight, lots more would’ve been caught. Some anglers arrived late for the trip, and so on, and the boat was launched later Tuesday night than George expected. Once the sun was up, the bite stopped on the chunk on the trip. The boat trolled afterward, and no fish bit, but a few catches on the troll were heard about. Still, lots more was heard about catches chunked. George knew about some boats that fished all night, landing 30 of the yellowfins. The fish were smaller, but there was action. The trip to the Washington is long from Cape May, and a fast boat is needed. Waters were 82 degrees, and lots of whales, big groups, swam. On the way back to port, the trip stopped at the southern lumps to try trolling for bluefins. A buddy boated them there the day before, on Tuesday. None showed up on this trip, but bluefins are still hitting in the area.  The fishing is a matter of right place, right time. Sometimes catches are made at one place, like Massey’s Canyon, 19-Fathom Lump, the Hambone or the Hot Dog, and not at another. Most of the bluefins were trolled, but sometimes catches on the chunk were known about.  Two charters limited out on the bluefins, 45- to 51-inchers, and also cashed in on yellowfin tuna Saturday and Sunday on the Heavy Hitter, while trolling the southern lumps. The fish could stick around, but could also depart. Take advantage of special rates on these trips, while the tuna are swimming inshore. Bill Szwajkoski’s charter took the trip Saturday, limiting out on over and under bluefins, icing a 50-pound yellowfin and also trolling a 10-pound mahi mahi. Tom Ebbecke from Newfield’s Accresce Nursery’s charter took Sunday’s trip, limiting out on over and unders and axing a 40-pound yellowfin. One fish was missed that hit on the troll on the outing. Saturday’s trip limited by 10 a.m., and Sunday’s limited by 9:30 a.m. Both trips afterward trolled about an hour on the way home, in case wahoos or mahi bit. The tuna began biting a little after 7 a.m. on both charters. Then the trips were in the fish. But tuna were caught throughout the day on other boats, George believed. Lots of bait filled waters. The ocean on the bluefin grounds was 76 to 77 degrees, and was 65 degrees along shore. Waters near shore probably warmed since then in the heat and change of wind direction.

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