<b>Sandy Hook</b>

Trips on the <b>Hyper Striper</b> from Highlands switched to shark fishing last week, after striped bass fishing slowed, Capt. Pete wrote in an email. Scott Okal’s party was the first to opt for sharking, instead of striper fishing. That was last week on Thursday, and the trip landed a 220-pound thresher. Eric Halbeck’s crew last Friday boated a 388-pounder, and on Saturday, Scott’s Eyster’s group subdued a 280-pounder. Not all of those sharks were kept. Watch a video of one of the thresher sharks. Hyper’s Facebook page on Tuesday said trips aboard still sailed for sharks the past couple of days, releasing brown sharks and threshers, small ones. A small mako shark was also let go, the first mako landed inshore aboard in a few years. Coming up, the Hyper will fish for bluefin tuna inshore.

Thirteen thresher sharks were docked at <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> from Highlands from Sunday to Wednesday, Marion wrote in an email. A scale with 3,000 pounds capacity was installed at the marina, and anglers started weighing the fish. The threshers ranged from 203 ½ pounds to 486. The anglers who checked-in the 486-pounder were Tony, Casey and Jake Campi, Ryan Taffet, Brian Mavrinac, and Jeff and Greg Sutton. Some of the heaviest threshers also included: a 332-pounder, gutted, from the Reel Deal, with Mike and Mark Russin and Michael and Jason Cepparuld; a 388-pounder from the Mudhole, for Eric Halbeck, John Ventura and Anthony Monico; and a 380-pounder from the My Girls, with Ray and Laura Szpond aboard. Twin Lights, located conveniently on Shrewsbury River near Raritan Bay and the ocean, with no bridges before them, includes a marina with boat slips and dry storage, a fuel dock, and a combined bait and tackle shop and ship’s store. Baits include the flats of frozen baitfish for sharks and tuna. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. 

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

A shark trip aboard Friday released three makos, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> from Belmar. The ocean was 70 degrees, and seas were rough. A few bluefin tuna started to arrive in range, Pete believed, and the boat sails for them.  Parker Pete’s doesn’t usually sail farther offshore for yellowfin tuna at the canyons, because the boat is usually busy with inshore fishing. But sometimes the boat heads to the canyons when anglers request.

On the <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar, trips are booked to fish for bluefin tuna mid-range soon, Capt. Mike said. No bluefins were heard about yet, but that could change entirely within days. Trips afterward will fish for yellowfin tuna at the offshore canyons. Yellowfins, here and there, not many, began to be picked up. The 46-foot boat features speed and all the amenities.

Several thresher sharks to a 350-pounder were weighed-in this week, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> in Belmar wrote in an email.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

When <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach fished Hudson Canyon on Saturday, great water was found, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. But the fleet found fishing tough, and Mushin landed no tuna, but trolled mahi mahi to 20 pounds. A white marlin bit on the troll aboard. On Sunday, Mushin steamed to the canyons to the south, scratching out some yellowfin tuna to 45 pounds, “before fish went down and out,” he said. Another white bit on the troll for the boat, and the trip found outstanding water again. The water was 74 to 76 degrees, clean, blue and filled with life, like flying fish. Alan wouldn’t have been surprised if a blue marlin had come up in the water. Alan, who sent this emailed report on Monday afternoon, had just gotten off the phone with Capt. Ray, who was running the boat then. The trip was returning with a 200-pound mako shark for Hank and Jinxie Kochen aboard, regular customers. Ray had told Alan that on the trip, the shark was the third “mako he had on the line.” Charters are fishing, and <a href=" http://reports.mushinsportfishing.com/
" target="_blank">individual-reservation trips for tuna</a> are posted on Mushin’s website in the reports section, and are filling up. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

Trips tied into lots of sharks – blues, makos and threshers – on Monday, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Brown sharks, required to be released, were around close to shore, now that water warmed.

Space is available on an open-boat trip for tilefish offshore Saturday to Sunday on the <b>Super Chic</b> from Barnegat Light, Capt. Ted said. All open tile trips caught well throughout the past year aboard. Mid-range tuna fishing caught a few bluefins for boaters, and the angling was just starting. Yellowfin tuna fishing farther offshore, at the canyons, was a little slow this past week, but that can change daily.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Nothing was heard about sharks and tuna this week, because of winds and seas, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. Seas were 3 to 5 feet and bigger close to shore, as the offshore hurricane approached.

Not many boaters fished for tuna offshore this weekend because of rough seas, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b> from Longport. Two open-boat tuna trips sold out on July 20 and 21, so another was scheduled for 2 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 19, limited to six passengers. Telephone to reserve, and charters are available, including on some Saturdays in the near future. No news rolled in about tuna this week, because of seas. Tuna bit last week, mostly at Baltimore Canyon, and as trips fished farther north at the Wilmington and Spencer that week, they picked tuna here and there. Inshore fishing for tuna, mahi mahi and wahoos should turn on soon, and the Stray Cat sails for them.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Seas were too rough, as the hurricane approached, to hear about fishing for sharks and tuna, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. A longliner turned around after sailing 36 miles out, without making a set.

The quality of the ocean could bode well for inshore fishing for mahi mahi, wahoos and bluefin tuna that <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>, from Avalon, does soon, Capt. Jim said. The water was exceptionally clean, and a couple of the trips are already booked for the angling.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Before the storm began to arrive, <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b> from Cape May was busy with fishing, Capt. Frank said. An offshore tuna charter was already postponed that was supposed to fish Sunday. A couple of boats still plan to sail for tuna that day, but closer to shore, along the 40-mile line. Frank might head offshore on a crew trip Sunday. The next tuna charters are booked for next Friday and that Sunday. 

Nothing was heard about tuna at the canyons in the weather, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. The fishing was slow for a moment before then. He hopes bluefin tuna show up soon closer to shore, at places like Massey’s Canyon and the Hot Dog. They usually arrive toward early July.

Nick from Cape May’s <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> joined a trip that trolled Baltimore Canyon on Sunday on the Common Sense, he said. No tuna were hooked, but mahi mahi, including big gaffers, were landed, and a white marlin was raised. The trip trolled one area where bait schooled, and birds worked the bait all over, but no fish bit. So the trip picked up and moved. The water on the trip was clear and 72 or 73 degrees. Maybe this offshore hurricane will stir up the water and improve tuna fishing. Sometimes the water becomes all a uniform temperature, failing to concentrate tuna in any one area.

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