<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

A 335-pound mako shark was checked-in from a trip on the Smokin’ Reel with Robbie Siciliano from Neptune and John Hoffman from Belford, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> in Belmar wrote in an email.

Thresher sharks, smaller so far, started to haunt bunker schools during striped bass trips with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> from Belmar, Capt. Pete said. The ocean reached the mid-60 degrees. Parker Pete’s is mostly striper fishing, but can shark fish. Trips will be available for bluefin tuna if the fish show up on the mid-shore grounds like recent years.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

A 250-pound bigeye tuna and lots of yellowfin tuna were trolled at Hudson Canyon on Sunday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, emails from the crew and a report on Mushin’s website said. About two dozen yellowfins, some of them just legal-sized, were landed, and eight were kept that weighed 30 to 40 pounds. The trip left port at 11 p.m. Saturday, arriving at the canyon at 4:45 a.m. The trip trolled to search for bait, finding it at 6:30 a.m. A bluefin tuna jumped on but threw the hook at boat-side. Soon multiple yellowfins began to attack the trolling spread at once, over and over. The fish were watched invading the spread, popping the lines. The crew started to wonder whether four dozen ballyhoos were going to last for bait. Others on the radio reported similar fishing for bluefins, yellowfins and bigeyes in the same area. The trip had planned to fish for tilefish and mako sharks in addition to tuna, but decided to find a bigeye, hopeful because of 72-degree, bluish water, and all the bait, whales and tuna chicks. After hours of trolling “big stuff,” one of the emails said, for bigeyes, one of the big tuna was marked. A fish exploded on one of the riggers, and the 250-pound bigeye was bagged. Tuna fishing’s been great in June for several years, another one of the emails said, and seemed to be happening again. The fishing could also be good later, like in August and September, but don’t wait because of “tradition,” it said. Charters are fishing, and a few <a href=" http://reports.mushinsportfishing.com/
" target="_blank">individual-reservation tuna trips</a> are posted on Mushin’s website in the reports section, and are filling steadily. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness.

Thresher sharks foraged on bunker close to shore, Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle said. Reels had to be re-spooled and tackle repaired, because of threshers hooked by mistake, while anglers striped bass fished. Sharks like makos and blue sharks swam traditional places like Monster Ledge, Chicken Canyon and Glory Hole. Farther offshore, Hudson Canyon’s tuna fishing lit up, and tuna continued to bite at southern canyons, but locals sailed to the Hudson. That was before this week’s rough weather. Anglers at the Hudson trolled bluefin tuna and, in the warmer waters, yellowfin tuna, on the other side of the temperature break. The yellowfins were small or 25 to 40 pounds, but there were “scads,” he said. Usual spreader bars and ballyhoos on Joe Shute skirts were trolled. One report even said longfin tuna were caught, though longfins usually show up toward autumn. Capt. Jim Freda will give the store’s next free seminar that’s confirmed, on bluefin tuna fishing, at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 26.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

Space is available on an open-boat, overnight tilefish trip offshore Saturday to Sunday, July 5 to 6, on the <b>Super Chic</b> from Barnegat Light, Capt. Ted said. Maybe the trip will even bump into tuna, at this time of year, Ted wrote on the boat’s Facebook page. Tilefishing was good on all open trips for them aboard through the past year. One of the trips sailed so far this year, in mid-May. The trip’s tiles, a mix of goldens and bluelines, weren’t big, probably averaging 5 to 8 pounds, but the anglers bagged about a dozen apiece, a good catch. Probably a 15-pounder was largest. The ocean then was 55 to 58 degrees, the same temperature everywhere, from Barnegat Inlet to offshore. The temps reported now were mostly in the 60s close to shore, sometimes in the 50s, to the low 70s at places at the offshore canyons.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Nobody was heard about who boated offshore this week, because of weather, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. Before the weather, tuna were boated between Wilmington and Baltimore canyons. Shark fishing became up and down, because of weather.

A charter Saturday will sail for tuna and tilefish at Wilmington Canyon on the <b>Stray Cat</b> from Longport, Capt. Mike said. A shark trip fished Sunday aboard, landing three blue sharks and one brown shark in 80 feet. Water clarity and temperature, 68 degrees, almost 69 at spots, were perfect, he said. Bluefin tuna were seen pushing waters along the inshore edge of the Cigar three times on the trip. They popped up and were gone before any effort could be made to fish for them, but the tuna were there. Tuna were belted at Spencer, Wilmington and Baltimore canyons recently. Shark trips include special night trips this year from 6:30 to 11:30, a 5-hour outing, if anglers want to shark after work. 

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Team Pirasea on the Relentless, sponsored by <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City in the weekend’s South Jersey Shark Tournament, won with a 338-pound mako! Mike from the shop said. See photos on <a href=" http://seaislebaitandtackle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sea Isle Bait & Tackle’s blog</a>. Anglers from the Cape May tournament said more sharks were boated than in years during the event. The sharks included blues, lots, threshers and makos. Shark fishing was good now at places like the Elephant Trunk, the Lobster Claw and 19-Fathom Lump. Mike hoped this week’s weather would clear in time to get back after them, before the peak sharking is finished. No boats from Sea Isle City were known about that sailed for tuna yet this year. But some anglers climbed on other boats, trolling a bunch of yellowfin tuna to 50 pounds, not big, and a few bluefin tuna toward Baltimore Canyon. A few bigeye tuna showed up, and some gaffer mahi mahi were heard about. A few blue marlin were reported, but no white marlin were mentioned yet this year.

A friend trolled several yellowfin and bluefin tuna at Baltimore Canyon, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> from Sea Isle City, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. That was before this week’s rough weather. Another friend won the weekend’s South Jersey Shark Tournament with a 338-pound mako. Another landed a thresher shark, and Joe knew about blue sharks and other threshers caught. His year’s first inshore shark trip is scheduled for this weekend. The trips hook and release sharks like blacktips, browns and duskies, usually within 10 miles from shore, on spinning and fly rods. That’s a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

<b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b> from Cape May shark and tuna fished late last week into the weekend, Capt. Frank said. The shark trips competed in the South Jersey Shark Tournament, and the catches aboard included a 7-1/2-foot mako, a 6-footer and a couple of 5-footers. The trips sharked in 57- to 59-degree waters, and entrants who fished in warmer waters, like 62 and 63 degrees, seemed to catch smaller makos, like 4-footers. The trips with Melanie Anne started sharking 57 miles from shore. The tuna trip jumped on bluefin and yellowfin tuna fishing that turned on at the Tea Cup, trolling the fish. An 85-pound yellowfin was largest with Melanie Anne.

Tuna had been biting offshore, but no trips that far were heard about in the weather this week, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. Tuna trips reportedly had to sail to the 100 line between Wilmington and Baltimore canyons to catch. Anglers should probably sail for them now, while the fish are in. Trips aboard are available for them. George hopes tuna shove closer to shore to places like Massey’s Canyon and 19-Fathom Lump. The South Jersey Shark Tournament was held from Cape May this weekend, and a boater from the dock’s trip reeled in two makos. Lots of blue sharks were around, the angler told George.

Yellowfin and bluefin tuna were reported caught from the canyons, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May. The yellowfins seemed mostly small to 40 or 50 pounds, and some were bigger. Shark fishing was unbelievable from Cape May this weekend. The South Jersey Shark Tournament was held at South Jersey Marina in the town, and lots were landed during the event. That included makos and threshers.

Back to Top