<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

The <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar was motored out for bluefin tuna on Monday, 45 miles from shore, Capt. Mike said. The charter trolled three, keeping a limit of two, and the bluefins were marked like crazy. Tons of tuna are out there, gorging on sand eels, “just having a good old time,” Mike said. They bite early and late in the day, turning off once boat traffic builds. The tuna were the first-ever for the anglers, and they were thrilled, Mike said. Waters were beautiful and clear – anglers could see pretty far down. The warm, 78-degree waters were full of bait and life. Farther offshore, bigeye tuna were boated at Hudson Canyon. That was a long way to sail for the few that typically bite, but if anglers got on them, the big fish made for a great catch. The Katie H features all the amenities and speed. 

The season’s first tuna trips are set for the end of the month, a couple of weeks away, with <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b> from Belmar, Capt. Jared said. Bluefin tuna swam inshore, and bigeye tuna roamed Hudson Canyon, reportedly. The 50-foot boat can host small to large groups. Corporate charters can sail, and charge the trip to the business card. The boat is safe, clean and fast, Jared said.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Places like Chicken Canyon and Atlantic Princess wreck harbored bluefin tuna, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. A trip on the Jenny Lee trolled three on Saturday, keeping no more than a limit, and three other bites that weren’t landed. Bigeye tuna supposedly gave up catches at Hudson Canyon, but that was unconfirmed. A few yellowfin tuna and wahoos came from the Hudson last week. The Reel Seat’s newest spreader bars, with different lures, colors and sizes, were just stocked.

Annual mixed-bag trips – open-boat and charters – have been fishing the mid-shore ocean with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, but a trip tried pushing offshore to the canyons this week, Capt. Fred said. The mid-shore trips sail for bluefin tuna and other catches that can include mahi mahi, cod, pollock and more, all in one outing, and have been catching. The canyon trip found no tuna, but landed other fish. It steamed overnight Sunday to Monday, and the crew was “torn” about the canyon to start fishing, based on reports. They settled on Hendrickson Canyon, because of a satellite water-temperature shot. On arrival during daytime Sunday, the life the captain wanted was found. “Bait, birds and mammals,” a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said. The boat was trolled, but nothing bit. The anglers began fishing lobster pot buoys, nailing half a dozen mahi. The trip trolled again, without a touch, despite lots of life. So the trip sailed to Hudson Canyon, 30 miles away, “to try to get in on the bigeye bite,” the report said. Very few of the tuna were caught there that day, and the boat was set up to fish at night. Schools of bait, squid and flying fish instantly appeared, swarming around all night. But no tuna bit. Something slammed the deep rod during the night. “Thinking swordie,” the report said. But the fish turned out to be a 200-pound shark that was released. No other fish grabbed a hook in the dark. In the morning, the trip got up on the troll. About 50 other boats trolled, and a few bigeyes were landed among them. The trip with Andrea’s Toy decided to tilefish, and a dozen blueline tiles were cranked in. Then the anglers fished for mahi again, adding another 18 of the fish to 15 pounds to the catch, for a total of 24 mahi on the outing. On the way home, scallop boats were seen, and the trip stopped to try chunking and jigging tuna among them. No tuna appeared. Andrea’s Toy will fish on the mid-shore and offshore trips the rest of summer, and telephone if interested. The crew specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Reports about bluefin tuna fishing, at places like the Hot Dog and the Lobster Claw, were mixed, said Justin from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. They made knowing what to believe about the fishing difficult. Most trips that were reported caught none. Then someone would report reeling in a few. Loads of yellowfin tuna had been boated at Washington Canyon, on overnight trips, that far away. But even that slowed a couple of days. Knowing how that fishing was going became difficult.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

The shop sold out of butterfish, sardines and ballyhoos on Thursday, because boaters were headed for tuna that night, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. Reports should be heard afterward, and weather was windy and stormy before then, after the weekend.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Nothing was heard about tuna fishing during weather in past days, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. Fishing for tuna wasn’t good at the Hot Dog aboard Sunday. None of the fish bit on the trip, and the angling sounded slow for the fleet. So George asked whether the charter wanted to fish for tilefish farther offshore at a canyon. They did, and a good catch of tiles, about 15, including quite a few large, to 25 and 30 pounds, were cranked in. Mostly bluefin tuna and sometimes yellowfin tuna were reeled in at the Dog in past weeks. George heard about a few tuna managed, and mahi mahi taken, there on the day of the trip. He also knew about tuna boated at the Hot Dog last week on Tuesday. Then winds and rains rolled in, and no trips were heard about again until Sunday.  

Many tuna seemed to hold far south, like at Washington Canyon, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May. Lots of yellowfins were pumped in there on overnight trips. But bigeye tuna were heard about from Wilmington Canyon.

Back to Top