<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

<b>XTC Sportfishing</b> from Belmar was weathered out from tuna fishing last Friday through Sunday, Capt. Scott said. The boat was supposed to return to big-game angling today, when seas were supposed to calm. The ocean previously held a heave, first from wind last weekend, then from Hurricane Cristobal that passed offshore this week. The trip today was set to fish inshore for tuna and sharks, and an overnighter Saturday to Sunday is supposed to run for tuna at the offshore canyons. Trips fished for tuna inshore and offshore last week, catching well. An inshore trip last week on Monday landed bluefin tuna at the Chicken Canyon. An overnighter that Tuesday to Wednesday fished offshore at Hudson Canyon, tackling yellowfin tuna and longfin tuna. An overnighter that Wednesday to Thursday batted aboard yellowfins at the Chicken. The yellowfins at the Chicken weighed 20 to 70 pounds, and at the Hudson weighed 70 to 90. At the Hudson, the tuna were trolled during daytime and chunked at night. The chunking was slower than trolling, but the fish bit throughout the night. All the tuna at the Chicken were trolled.

When trips had the weather to reach offshore, catches were something, Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> from Belmar said. Word spread this week about a New Jersey boat that landed 23 bigeye tuna, an incredible catch, nine yellowfin tuna and some longfin tuna, white marlin and swordfish on a trip. Parker Pete’s fishes for tuna inshore, and is usually too busy fishing close to shore for catches like fluke to fish the offshore canyons. But Pete was thinking about a canyon trip because of the catches. Pete’s fluke trips even dealt with weather and seas this week. But that’s what happens this time of year. You play the weather, he said. A heave was leftover on the ocean this week from northeasterly wind during the weekend. Then the offshore hurricane this week sustained the heave, and caused a severe, easterly current, like riptides the hurricane caused in the surf. South wind became an issue at mid-week. But the hurricane now passed, and seas are forecast to improve.

The <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar will fish for tuna offshore at the canyons overnight Friday to Saturday, Capt. Mike said. He was loading bait into the truck for the trip Wednesday evening when he said that in a phone call. The schedule of overnight trips to the canyons recently began aboard, traditionally starting around now, when tuna start to bite at night.

Tuna trips are booking up on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> from Belmar, a report on the vessel’s website said. Only eight spots are left for September 28, one for October 5, and 15 for October 19, the three dates the 24-hour trips are scheduled. See the <a href=" http://goldeneaglefishing.com/tuna-reservation.html" target="_blank">Golden Eagle’s tuna trip page</a> online.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Bonito, frigate mackerel and mahi mahi were fought on trips that fished for small bluefish during daytime last week, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. Big blues were more commonly caught at night then. Bonito continued to bite at the ridges last week, and bonito fishing was better farther from shore then. Little Italy, along the Mudhole, was full of bonito at the time. Little Italy was crammed with 15- to 30-pound bluefin tuna that week. Sizeable, gaffer mahi were around in the area. Farther from shore, good catches of sizable yellowfin tuna to 90 pounds were taken at the Chicken Canyon, mostly on the troll, sometimes on jigs or on the chunk. All the way offshore, the 100 Square at Hudson Canyon held “a pretty ready supply,” he said, of bigeye tuna and some yellowfin and longfin tuna. Most were trolled during daytime. Swordfish and mako sharks could be caught at night at the canyons.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

A trip last week on Thursday trolled a mess of bonito and small blues on the <b>Super Chic</b> from Barnegat Light, Capt. Ted said. Bonito fishing was productive aboard through then, and a charter is supposed to bluefish this Saturday night, but might fish for bonito first. The season’s first canyon tuna trip is scheduled for September 12 or 13 so far. A few bigeye, yellowfin and longfin tuna were apparently caught at Hudson Canyon recently. Tuna fishing sounded slow farther south then, and water was warm there. Yellowfins actually showed up at Chicken Canyon closer to shore last week.

Some bonito remained at Barnegat Ridge, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b> in Forked River. Tuna fishing was good farther from shore, when boaters could reach them in seas.
 
<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

False albacore and bonito were trolled Saturday on the <b>Stray Cat</b> from Longport, Capt. Mike said. No bluefish were that hit previously. “They were glued to the bottom,” he said. But albies, bonito and blues generally remained around currently that trips bailed previously. Seas were 5 feet on the trip, and fishing was weathered out Sunday aboard. “Seas were substantial,” he said. Trips fished inshore for summer flounder aboard this week. A trip was supposed to fish for tuna at the canyons today on the boat.

Nothing was heard about offshore fishing for tuna or other big game in the seas this week, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. But an 82-pound wahoo was trolled at Ocean City Reef and weighed-in at the store. The trip couldn’t reach offshore in seas, so trolled the reef. Bonito sped along the inshore ridges last week, when reports last rolled-in about the fishing.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Nothing was reported about offshore fishing in the swell, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. No customers sailed for them.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

One trip was known about that cleaned up on tuna, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. The number of fish was exceptional, and little else was heard about tuna in past days, during the seas. During tuna fishing last week, the fish seemed to show up one day, and not the next. The trips sailed far to Lindenkohl Canyon then, but that could change.

Capt. Frank from <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b> from Cape May took advantage of last weekend’s rough weather to haul the boat for maintenance, he said. Tuna last week held at Spencer and Lindenkohl canyons, and trips had to make the long ride, and tuna fishing wasn’t really happening inshore, at the time. But the location of the fish at the canyons could change. An overnight tuna trip might sail this weekend that was weathered out last weekend.

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