<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

Several bonito were landed Sunday during bluefishing on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> from Belmar, a report on the vessel’s website said. Those were the first bonito reported on this site this season.  Blues, bonito and chub mackerel were fought the previous couple of nights aboard.

Customers wanted to fish for bluefin tuna on the mid-range ocean, but the only bluefins heard about were caught from Cape May to the south, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar. Weather was often rough this week, but a friend fished offshore at the canyons early in the week, trolling seven yellowfin tuna and a white marlin. No tuna caught at night at the canyons were heard about yet, and the season was early for that. That usually begins in mid to late August, and tuna fishing just gets better from there, Mike said. He, because of the distance, prefers to fish the canyons overnight. The fishing overnight also offers chances at mako sharks and swordfish. But if a trip can fish the canyons only during daytime and troll enough tuna now, that can also be good. Katie H Sportfishing also fishes inshore, but is an offshore specialist. The 46-foot boat features speed and all the amenities.

Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> from Belmar heard nothing about bluefin tuna fishing on the mid-shore ocean, wasn’t paying attention while focusing on fluke trips inshore, he said. But trips aboard will sail for the tuna. Friends scored yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna and white and blue marlin, a great catch, at the offshore canyons on a trip this past week. 

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Bluefin tuna were boated in the Chicken Canyon area the last few days, and were definitely trolled, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle on Sunday. Farther from shore, trolling for tuna was good at the canyons the past four or five days, he said then. A bigeye tuna bite turned on at Hudson Canyon on Saturday. At Toms Canyon that day, yellowfin tuna, sometimes longfin tuna and plenty of marlin, mostly whites, but sometimes blues, were trolled.

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach has been busy fishing for tuna, mahi mahi and marlin at the canyons, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. Weather sometimes made the trips impossible to get out in recent days, and also scrubbed a couple of inshore trips aboard this week. But the boat was supposed to steam again now, including on an inshore or mid-range trip for bluefin tuna and mako sharks, and, during the weekend, canyon fishing for tuna and tilefish. Tuesday is available for fishing aboard, because of a cancellation. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

Canyon tuna fishing seemed okay, not great, but there were tuna to catch, said Capt. Ted from the <b>Super Chic</b> from Barnegat Light. Bigeye tuna gave up a bite a little, and a few yellowfin tuna were bagged. The boat fishes the canyons for tuna later in the season. A trip aboard is slated to fish for bluefin tuna in two Saturdays on the mid-range ocean. Ted knew nobody who tried for bonito on the ocean yet this season, like at Barnegat Ridge. But he wouldn’t be surprised if some started to be around, and they usually start appearing in July. Bluefish boats usually start to run into them, but bluefishing was slow locally, and the vessels stopped sailing for blues.

Open-boat trips will sail for bonito to Barnegat Ridge starting with a trip 6 a.m. to 12 noon Monday on the <b>Hi Flier</b> from Barnegat, Capt. Dave DeGennaro wrote in an email. The water sounded a good color, “and 72-degree water moved in there,” he said, so it was time to fish for them and false albacore at the ridge. Finding bluefin tuna there also isn’t impossible. Three people max. All fish are shared. If weather is mint, “and we decide to push off farther … in search of tuna,” he said, the rate will be a little more, because of additional fuel. The fishing will also return a few hours later then. “So flexible people only, please,” he said.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

One customer fought mako sharks at 28-Mile Wreck a few days ago, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Mystic Island.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Bluefin and yellowfin tuna are swimming 30 fathoms, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b> from Longport. The angling had to put in time, or the fish didn’t come instantly, but tuna were to be had.  Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips for tuna with space available are on Saturday, August 16, and Sunday, August 24.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> from Sea Isle City, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, sailed for tuna with Jay Von Czoernig and buddies last week on Thursday. That was the first day when seas allowed, after rough weather previously that week, and the trip went 2 for 5 on bluefin tuna to 70 pounds. The angling would’ve gone 5 for 5, Joe said, but three of the tuna were hooked at once. “Sometimes there’s nothing you can do,” he said. Last Friday, Lindsay Clarkson fished for tuna aboard, and a 40-pound yellowfin tuna, a 50-pound bluefin and a mahi mahi were boated. Both trips trolled the fish in 30 fathoms.

Tuna fishing picked a couple of the fish, both inshore, at places like the Hot Dog and Hambone, and at the offshore canyons, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. Some trips caught better than others, but anglers caught. Only a limited number of the tuna, not many, were chunked, and probably 98 percent were trolled.  

<b>Cape May</b>

Bluefin tuna were boated Saturday and Sunday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May, Capt. George said. On the charter Saturday, two bluefins and four mahi mahi were bagged, and a couple of bluefins were missed. On Sunday’s charter, two bluefins and a couple of mahi were kept, and a couple of bluefins were released. Most of the fish were trolled on the trips, but some were chunked. On one of the trips, two bluefins were chunked but pulled the hook and got off, one on a jig, the other on cut butterfish. That trip also landed a mahi on a chunk. All the bluefins were unders on the outings. Many were 34 or 35 inches, but one on each trip was 46 inches, about 60 pounds, just shorter than the over size. The charters fished offshore of the Hot Dog, past the 30-fathom line, along hills and humps. The water was 77 degrees on the fishing grounds and 66 along the beach. Seas were rough on the way home on Sunday’s trip, but wind blew harder at the dock than on the fishing grounds.  Weather was lousy Monday and Tuesday, but a friend sailed for tuna Wednesday, and George waited to hear results, when he gave this report that evening. The Heavy Hitter was supposed to resume fishing Thursday, after the weather, for inshore sharks.

Two trips fished offshore Saturday and Sunday with <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b> from Cape May, Capt. Frank said. The trip Saturday limited out on three bluefin tuna, two unders and an over. The unders were about the same size, 45 pounds, and the over was 50 inches. The trip trolled the fish between the Hambone and the Hot Dog, and Sunday’s trip sailed right back to that spot. But the angling wasn’t so good. One boat the crew talked with was chunking the fish there, but Melanie Anne was trolling. So the trip moved to the 40-fathom line, including around the Tea Cup, and then the 50 line. A white marlin and two gaffer mahi mahi were trolled at the 50. The trip moved out to the canyon, working the wall to the tip. Two more whites were trolled. At the tip, toward 100 fathoms, two bigger bluefin tuna were hooked on the troll. One broke the hook, and the other was landed. Another tuna trip is slated for Saturday.

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