<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

An overnight tuna trip is supposed to fish Saturday to Sunday on the <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar, but is likely to be weathered out, Capt. Mike said The plan was to fish inshore first, then sail offshore to Hudson Canyon. Nothing was heard about canyon fishing, because inshore tuna fishing produced, so trips sailed there. There bluefin tuna fishing was okay, and even yellowfin tuna showed up. How far from shore? Mike was asked. Can’t tell you, he said. The location was no secret, he said, but boats would flood the area, if too much word got out. A boat from the dock ran for the inshore tuna Wednesday, making a catch. 

It’s time to book tuna trips on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> from Belmar, a report on the vessel’s website said. Twenty-four-hour trips are scheduled for September 28 and October 5 and 19, and space remains, but is filling up. See the <a href=" http://goldeneaglefishing.com/tuna-reservation.html" target="_blank">Golden Eagle’s tuna trip page</a> online.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

A canyon day troll steamed Monday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. The fishing “continued to find,” he said, yellowfin tuna to 75 pounds, longfin tuna to 40 pounds and mahi mahi. Green-plastic lures out-fished ballyhoos that day.  One of Mushin’s other captains on another boat during the weekend went 4 for 9 on bigeye tuna, and watched multiple bigeyes cover up trolling spreads for other boats. Nighttime fishing for tuna has “some starts and stops,” Alan said, at the canyons, but daytime trolling is fairly consistent. “It looks like it’s shaping up to be a fall chunking bite,” he said. Charters are fishing, and a few spaces are available on individual-reservation trips for tuna in September, and the calendar for October is being worked on. Check out <a href="http://www.mushinsportfishing.com" target="_blank">Mushin’s redesigned website</a>.

The Point Pleasant Beach party boat <a href=" http://www.gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.html" target="_blank"><b>Gambler</b>’s tuna trips</a> will be launched on September 24. Click the link for the schedule, and the trips do fill up.

Bonito fishing was good at Manasquan and Barnegat ridges, and quite a few chicken mahi mahi swam the water, Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle said on Sunday. The bonito were trolled on Nos. 1 and 2 Clark spoons, feathers and jets, and were chunked on spearing, or spearing was tossed into the water, and hooked spearing were flat-lined in the slick. Tons of small bluefin tuna 15 or 20 pounds, good catches, were trolled at Little Italy and the Monster Ledge, on the same lures that the bonito were. Farther out, plenty of bluefins swam, and yellowfin tuna were mixed in, toward 30 fathoms or in the Atlantic Princess wreck vicinity. Mahi were “that much bigger” there, he said. In those areas, most of the tuna were trolled, but some were jigged or popper-plugged. Farther still, Hudson Canyon’s fishing broke wide open, on the troll again, instead of chunking during daytime like before, he said that day. Quite a few bigeye tuna, and some yellowfin tuna, were trolled. Not much was heard about marlin, but that didn’t mean marlin weren’t around. A few tuna, not many, were chunked overnight. Many of the trolled tuna were taken on ballyhoos on Joe Shute skirts or spreader bars.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

Fishing for bonito was good on the <b>Super Chic</b> from Barnegat Light on Sunday, like it was on the previous weekend, Capt. Ted said that day. On the trip, small blues and a couple of skipjacks were mixed in, and Clark spoons were trolled. The year’s first canyon tuna trip aboard is currently booked for September 12 or 13. Boats from the docks didn’t catch many tuna at the canyons last Friday and Saturday. Weather was windy much of last week, and none of the boats sailed for tuna that week from Tuesday to Thursday that Ted knew about. Not much was heard from the docks about bluefin tuna caught closer to shore in past days, he said that day. A handful of the fish were found, spotty fishing, not like before.

Barnegat Ridge was all lit up with bonito and mahi mahi! Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> from Barnegat wrote in an email. Besides usual small, chicken dolphin that swam the ridge, 10- to 20-pound, bull mahi were mixed in this year.  Sand eels and squid filled the bellies of the bonito and mahi. Flat-lined cedar plugs were the hottest lure for his trips right now. “They’re crushing everything in tight to the boat,” he said. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

Tuna fishing was best at Lindenkohl Canyon, for mostly yellowfins on the chunk, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Mystic Island. But bigeye tuna were trolled. Tuna fishing was slow at Wilmington Canyon, and trips needed to head north.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Blue, clear water “rolled out,” affecting some fishing, but rolled back in during the weekend, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b> from Longport. Bonito during the dirtier water became scattered that gave up great angling aboard before, and tuna fishing struck out on a trip last Friday inshore, during the worse conditions. Trolling for the fish was dead. Customers this week wanted to fish for summer flounder, so the boat sailed for the flatfish, so Mike couldn’t say whether bonito fishing held up now.  Not a word was heard about tuna caught in a week. Mike saw nobody at the dock who landed them. Water chilled at places like the Lobster Claw, dipping to 71 degrees, from 74 previously. So fishing was slow at areas like that and the Cigar and 28-Mile Wreck. White marlin, fought in 50 fathoms a couple of days ago, were the most recent big-game heard about that were caught. 

Bonito sped around Atlantic City Reef , Atlantic City and Sea Isle ridges, and other places like that in 85 to 100 feet, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. Small mahi mahi also held there. Nothing was heard about tuna in a few days. Tuna previously were chunked at Lindenkohl Canyon, during daytime at first, then at night. A few were caught at Wilmington Canyon at the time.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Tuna and mahi mahi were found close to shore, in 30 fathoms, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> in Sea Isle City, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The tuna were bluefins but even some yellowfins.

Bonito schooled the ocean 10 to 15 miles from shore, and small blues and other fish, like skipjacks, were mixed in, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. Spanish mackerel were yet to be heard about among them. Farther offshore at the canyons, the different species of tuna were both trolled and chunked, and marlin were trolled. 

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Tuna now seemed to turn on at the canyons on the chunk a few days, turn off a couple of days, and turn back on, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. The fish were there, and fed at different times of day, and that kept changing. A friend got into the tuna late in the day, and was headed back Thursday, saying the fish were on a morning bite now, for instance. A few tuna could be caught closer to shore in 30 to 40 fathoms, but George wouldn’t recommend that. Chunking all the way out at the canyons was the way to go. Mahi mahi swam the inshore lumps 20 or 25 miles from shore. Someone said false albacore roamed 20 miles out.

Fishing for tuna sounded best at Lindenkohl Canyon on the chunk during daytime, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May. Some were caught, for sure. Bonito and blues zipped around places like 4-Fathom Bank. Mahi mahi and Spanish mackerel might’ve swum there.

Back to Top